The Gift
by MikeJaffa
Summary: When the Doctor is reunited with the weeping angel who'd sent Amy and Rory back in time, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: The Gift  
AUTHOR: MikeJaffa  
SYNOPSIS: When the Doctor is reunited with the Weeping Angel who'd sent Amy and Rory back in time, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.  
DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who is owned by the BBC. I am making no money off this fic.

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Ian Carmichael huddled with the three other teenage boys outside one of the gates to Calvary Cemetery in New York City. It was after 10 PM, with traffic still going above their heads on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway overpass; and the 16-year-old and his three buddies had got a hold of some beer thanks to a fake ID and they had been drinking and smoking pot. He'd had to lie to his dad about where he was; Greg, Doug and Steve were a "bad influence." But Ian hadn't had much of a say in being dragged across the Atlantic so Dad could take that job at the British consulate in New York, so it was only fair that Dad didn't have a say in how he spent his free time or with whom.

Ian was supposed to be keeping watch as Doug picked the lock. But it seemed to be taking longer than expected. Ian fished is phone out of his pocket and inspected it. "Still no signal," he said. His phone had stopped working almost half an hour ago. "I don't even think I'm getting the internet-"

"Quiet!" Doug snapped over his shoulder. "I've almost got it. You're supposed to be watching for cops."

Steve also had his own phone out. "Mine's down too-"

"Hel-loooo," Doug said, "picking the lock here. Want to put the phones down and keep an eye out?"

Ian put his phone away. "How long is this going to take?"

"This lock's funny," Doug groused. "It's like someone is trying to close it. But I've almost got it…aaaaannnnnnndddddddd….." The lock clicked open. Doug pushed on the gate; it creaked open. "We're in!"

The hustled through the gate and closed it behind them. They jogged along the service road for a few yards, then came to the first row of headstones. They put all their backs into the first one and pushed it over. Then they went to the next one to it.

When that one hit the ground, they hear a growl behind them.

"What the-" Doug turned on the flashlight on his phone and turned around. The light hit a statue. It was about their height, looking like a woman in a dress with angel's wings. The statue's face had an angry expression, and it was pointing back towards the gate.

Ian jumped. "Where did that come from?" he stammered, his heart in his throat.

Doug sauntered up to it. "Ya had too many brewskis, you big baby." He looked the statue in the eye. "Hey, baby. Come here often?" He laughed and gave it a shove. It fell against a headstone behind it; th headstone broke, and he statue slid down its extended arm bracing it against the ground.

"Come on." He led them to the next headstone in the row they were one. They pushed it over.

Another growl sounded, more insistent than before. They turned and the statue was standing again, still looking angry, still pointing at the gate.

Doug took a few steps forward, scanning for whomever had righted the statue. "Who's out there?" he challenged. "Don't mess with me, man!"

No one answer.

"Screw you," he said. He led the group back to the next headstone. It seemed smaller and less ornate than the other ones in the row. They put their backs into it and shoved it over.

The growl became a shriek of rage. They turned and saw the statue – only it had moved! It was frozen running after them, its face twisted in an angry, almost bestial grimace.

Ian took off running, the others behind him. He could hear the other boys running…

…but there seemed to be fewer footsteps with each passing moment. He turned, and the statue was behind him, still angry, still frozen in a running pose. He couldn't see the others.

"OH GOD!" He turned and ran faster. But he felt two hands touch his shoulder. Then the ground tilted. He stumbled and lost his balance.

"Ian!" He heard Steve's voice behind him. "Ian, is that you?"

Ian turned. "Steve?" He stopped and turned. It looked like he was still in the cemetery, but they were on the side of a small hill; hadn't it been flat a moment ago? At the bottom of the hill were more graves and three and six story buildings. They looked like college dormitories. The pissed off…whatever it was…was gone.

"You guys ok?" Ian asked. "What was that?"

"Some freak in body paint," Doug said. "Musta been."

Steve was shaking. "I don't want to find out. Let's get out of here."

"Whatever," Doug spat. "Wimps." But he was barely hiding his own nervousness.

They climbed over the fence and scooted past one of the buildings. There was a street on the other side and they followed it in the direction of what they thought was the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and their bus stop. But when they came to the intersection, there was a two lane road with no sign of the overpass. The houses on the tree-lined street all looked like Small Town America.

"What the…" Ian stammered. "Where are we?" He checked his phone. "Still not working." He looked at the Sunoco station on the corner they were next to. "I'm going to ask for directions."

"Ian-" Doug started.

"Just a minute!" Ian said.

Ian entered the convenience store and came to the woman at the counter. "Sorry," he said, "but could you point me to 48th Street?"

"Excuse me?" she said.

"48th Street. My friends and I want to catch the bus. Is it far? How many blocks?"

"Blocks?" she sniffed his breath. "How much have you been drinking? Let me see your ID."

Ian took a step back. "I just want to know how long it will take to get to 48th Street. Which way is Queens Boulevard?"

"Queens!? You driving?"

"No, walking."

"Are you serious?"

"Look, we're in Queens, right?"

"No, Cortland. You've got about two hundred miles to go. What have you been smoking? Do your parents know where you are?"


	2. Chapter 2

"For the last time, I am not taking a job in Liverpool!" Clara Oswald shouted, looking to stare out the window of the passenger side of Danny Pink's car. The school was on midterm brake, and Clara had been looking forward to some "quality time" with Danny. She'd even extracted a promise from the Doctor not to take her on any journeys in the Tardis for the duration. She'd owed it to Danny, she'd said, especially after he'd helped wit that business with the forest, and the Time Lord had agreed. They'd even gone a few days without any mention of the Doctor and related arguments.

And then Danny had dropped a bombshell on her while they were driving back to his house with groceries.

"Clara," Danny started, "we're not taking the job, just checking out the school. It might be good for a change. I just think-"

"Don't start! You just want to get me away from the Doctor."

"Well, yes."

"Are you daft? Have you been paying attention? Or are you just keeping your head in the sand? He's a bloody time traveler from another bloody planet! The Tardis can travel from one side the universe to the other quicker than you can take a roundabout. He could sunbathe at the Big Bang, cool off at the end of time, and then land *inside* Elizabeth the First's throne room for afternoon tea before heading back to the school to tackle another sentient computer virus. That's his typical Thursday. And you think going to Liverpool is going to be a problem for him? Only if the Tardis decides to be a cow and land him in the wrong year! And yeah, she's like that."

"Well, he's been borderline stalking, so I was thinking of a restraining order-"

"A restraining order? Against him? Who's going to enforce it? How can we lock him out? The only place I know of where you can't land the Tardis is UNIT's HQ under the tower of London. But those are his friends, so you might not want that." She rubbed her forehead. "I cannot believe I am having this conversation."

"Clara, I love you. And I worry about you. I'm worried the Doctor will get you killed."

"I love you, too, Danny, and I am sorry I have ever lied to you. But you don't want to see the bind you've put me in. The Doctor is my best friend. Hell, I'm practically the only family he's got. His home is gone. He sent it into another universe. I was there. He can go anywhere, and yet he's got nowhere to go. I care about both of you, and I need both of you in my life. But as long as you keep snarling at each other you put me in a position of walking a tightrope I don't want to be on. This brilliant idea of moving to Liverpool doesn't help." She smiled slightly. "He's a bit like you, y'know? Bit of a rebel. Actually has a problem with authority figures. You might like him if you give him a chance."

"Oh, I've given him a chance, Clara. You have no idea. As long as he brings you back safe, I'm good. But putting aside how dangerous what he does is, and the fact that that kind of life has an expiration date, you can't burn the candle at both ends forever. You'll have to choose one day. Can't be helped."

"Well, it's not today. So let's not have another word about it. He promised us the week. Let's no worry about anything else, ok?"

They'd pulled into Danny's driveway. As they got out of the car, Danny started to say, "Well, at least think about what I-"

His phone chimed. He glanced down at it. There was one text message:

'You will meet me behind the garage now. You will not tell Clara.'

Danny scowled. The message had no name, but he could guess who it was from. So the Doctor wanted a chat? About time; the Time "Lord" would finally get a piece of his mind.

"What I said," Danny finished. He headed for the garage.

"Oi!" Clara called from the trunk. "Where're you going?"

"Just have to check something. I'll be back to help in a minute."

"Ok."

Danny started just as he came around the back of the garage: "All right, Doctor, what-" He broke off and stopped in his tracks. It wasn't the doctor. It was a man in some kind of silver armor; only his face was exposed. And it looked like his own face.

"What…" Danny said. "Who are you?" He took a step forward.

The armored man took a step back. "Do not touch me. That will have detrimental effects on both of us." The voice sounded like his, but emotionless.

Danny stopped. "You didn't answer my question. Who are you?"

"I am you. I am what you will become."

"Because of the Doctor?" Danny's anger flared. "Did he…will he conduct some kind of experiment on me?"

"Incorrect. More I cannot say. You will put this meeting out of your mind when you talk to Clara."

"Or else?"

"Or nothing. I did it. You will do it. You will not refuse your assignment from UNIT. You will work with the Doctor."

"Are you mad? I don't even like the guy! You know that, right?"

"Yes, but you do not have to like him to do what's required of you. Your personal feelings do not negate his strategic importance. You will now ask me what the point of all this is."

"Yeah! Why should I work with him in UNIT? Can you tell me anything?"

"Earth's darkest hour is approaching. The Doctor will play a pivotal role in saving the human race, but only if he thinks it is worth saving. He must have hope."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"When the Doctor loses hope, you will direct him to fly the Tardis to a vantage point of the Tower Bridge, 1630 GMT the next day."

"All on your say-so."

"On *your* say-so. You misunderstand, Danny. I am not commanding. I am remembering what I did. I am remembering this meeting. This is what the Doctor calls 'timey-wimey.'" The armored version of himself smiled slightly. "You will just have to trust yourself."

Danny pondered, then said, "Will Clara be safe?"

"She will be unharmed when it is all over." His armored other self touched a control on his wrist. "You will not fail." He disappeared in a flash of silver light.

Danny frowned. 'What did he mean, "Unharmed when it's all over"?' he thought. 'Well, Danny, have you ever lied to yourself?'

Clara came around the corner of the garage. "Danny? Who's there?"

"No one."

"I thought you were talking to someone."

"I was talking to myself. Only one who listens to me, I expect."

"That sounds very Doctorian, if that's a word."

He smiled. "No need to insult-" Then he looked past Clara towards the front of his house. "What's that all about?"

A couple of black SUVs had pulled up in front of the house. As Clara and Danny came over to them, Clara recognized the blonde woman leading the group. "Kate!" She called. "What's going on?"

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart smiled. "Ah, Clara, good. We don't have to look for you. The Doctor has been sent for and will meet us back at HQ. I hope. And hopefully, we'll just get one of him. And Mr. Daniel Pink, I presume. Saved me the trouble of tracking you down." Kate thrust an envelope into Danny's hands. "Congratulations. You've just been reactivated."


	3. Chapter 3

Danny's protestations fell on deaf ears as he was taken to UNIT in the back of one of the SUVs. He met the squad's CO, a Martha Jones who, apparently, had once travel with the Doctor. He didn't see Clara again until they met in huge underground room next to an area with zebra stripes on the floor and red lights around it and machine gun nests on either side.

"Incoming!" a voice said from a speaker.

Machine guns were trained on the spot.

Danny sidled over to Martha. "Excuse me, Ma'am, but what's going on?"

Martha kept her eyes on the cordoned area even as the cyclical whirring the Tardis' engines could be heard. "The Tower is Tardis-proof," Martha said. "You can't land a Tardis inside it. That turned out to be a problem during a dust-up with the Zygons."

"The who?"

"Never mind. Point is it was decided to create a landing zone for the Tardis. Problem is, a hostile Time Lord could disguise his Tardis as the Doctor's and get through. So we're just playing it safe until the Doctor's identity is confirmed."

The whirring became a wheezing rumble as the Tardis appeared. Then the door opened. The Doctor stepped out. He had a sun tan.

"I hope I'm not late," he said. "I spent a week at the Eye of Orion to sober up."

Kate smiled. "You're right on time." She spoke into a walkie talkie: "Merlin confirmed. Stand down."

"'Merlin,'" the Doctor grinned. "Your dad ever tell you about that one?"

Martha stepped forward. "Doctor."

"Martha, hello!" He gave her a hug and spotted Danny. "Danny? How'd they rope you in – wait, where's Clara?" He disengaged from Martha has he noticed Clara. "Tell me you had the whole week."

Clara shook her head. "Nope."

"Rasilon's rod," the Doctor groused. He turned to Kate. "I hope I didn't give up my jam session with my mate Jimmy for something trivial."

"Jimmy?" Kate Prompted as she lead the group out of the landing area and down the corridor.

"Jimmy Buffet," the Doctor said. "We were playin' with this new song of his, Margarita-town or something like that. I was pretty wasted. But I think it'll go well when he records it. Ah, well. No rest of the wicked I expect."

"You said it, not me," Danny muttered. That got a glare from Martha.

In the conference room, the doctor took a seat next to Martha as Kate joined Osgood near a large projection screen. (The Doctor noted Osgood had stick of celery on her lapel.) At Kate's nod, the picture of a smiling teenage boy in a private school uniform.

"This is Ian Carmichael," Kate said. "His father is Richard Carmichael, deputy undersecretary to the head of the British consulate in New York City and – more importantly – the nephew of a member of the House of Lords. Ian has been attending a private school in New York City. Last Friday, young Ian and three of his friends were taken into custody by police in Cortland, New York, a small town two hundred miles from the city."

The Doctor nodded. "So wealth, power, and connections are the reasons the British government got pulled into this. But why are UNIT involved? Any of the boys turn out to be an alien or something?"

"I was getting to that, Doctor," Kate said. "Ian and his friends had been drinking. Clearly against the law over there as all were under 18. And they had some marijuana on them. At first the boys claimed they'd been kidnapped by a biker gang, but their stories didn't add up. When they police finally got the truth out of them, all four of them were given further drug tests. When they passed – and when Ian's father was involved – the case was passed up the chain to our American cousins at Area 51 and then to us.

"The boys admitted to pushing over headstones in a cemetery in New York City when they were attacked by what one described…" She consulted a clipboard. "…as 'a freak in body paint and wings that made her look like a statue.' The boys ran; she caught them. The next thing they knew, they were in a cemetery in Cortland, though they thought they were still in Queens. Ian asked for directions in a local gas station, and the clerk surmised he'd been drinking. And that brings us to where we are now."

"Sounds like a weeping angel attack," the Doctor said.

Danny grinned. "What, like that DVD easter egg? Are you serious? 'Don't blink. Blink and you're dead-'"

Martha glared. "That was him."

"What—no, it wasn't-"

"Yeah, it was. Different face, but that was him. Remember the black chick? That was me. And 1969 was a fun year to be stranded in, let me tell you."

Danny sagged into his seat.

The Doctor stood. "Well, for the benefit of those who don't know, weeping angels are the oldest and most vicious race in the universe. They're quantum locked. When a sentient being looks at them, they turn to stone; you can't kill a stone. But you look away, turn your head, they're on you. The same is true for anything that holds the image of an angel; they can act through those. They send you back in time. While you live out the rest of your days in the past, the angels eat the potential energy of the days you could have had. It's like...sending you back creates a backwash, and they eat the backwash." He turned to Kate. "But something doesn't add up. The angels usually send people back years. But these boys are boys now? Was there no displacement in time?"

"Osgood?" Kate said.

Osgood nodded and consulted laptop. She narrated images on the screen: "Forensic examination of the boys' belongings showed all their cell phones were unable to connect to their respective providers for a period of one hour, four minutes, and thirty-six seconds. Checking with their providers found that for exactly thirty-two minutes and eighteen seconds, their phones registered as being in two places at once."

"Ah," the Doctor said. "When they were sent back, the network couldn't reconcile the same sim cards being in two places at once. "

Osgood nodded. "Then when they passed the moment of time they had been sent back from, their phones began working properly again."

"Very neat," the Doctor said. "Gave herself a little snack. But why such a short distance? And that seems oddly specific. Thirty-two minutes and eighteen seconds." He paused, then took a deep breath. "One thousand, nine hundred, and thirty eight seconds. One nine three eight. Tell me, Kate, were the boys knocking over headstones in Calvary Cemetery?"

"Yes," Kate said.

"And the headstones knocked over," the Doctor went on. "Did one of them belong to Rory and Amy Williams?"

Osgood checked her laptop. "Yes."

Kate saw the Doctor was upset. "Friends of yours?"

"Former companions," the Doctor said. "They traveled with me just before I met you, Clara. We'd had a run in with weeping angels in New York City. They'd created a timeline where they kept their victims in an apartment complex and sent them back over and over again. Rory had been sent from 2012 back to 1938, and then the angels sent him back again and kept him prisoner until we got there. We saw his older self die. But then Amy and Rory jumped off the roof. By dying twice on the same night, he created a paradox that destroyed that timeline and we were all sent back to Calvary; Amy and Rory were restored to life because they'd never jumped off anything. I thought we were in the clear, but…An angel survived. It sent Rory back to 1938. Then Amy let it send her back. I saw their headstone. They lived the rest of their lives in New York and died there in the 1990's."

Clara said, "You couldn't go back and get them?"

"Can't," the Doctor said. "New York is riddled with temporal distortions and time paradoxes. Los Angeles has earthquakes; New York has scrambled timelines. And 1938 was ground zero for the biggest ones. It was hard enough to land the Tardis there when we went after Rory. Now, I'd be lucky if all that happened was I blew up New York. Worst case, Earth would cease to every have existed. So that year in New York is a Tardis no-fly zone."

Danny stood up. "All right. Let me see if I got this straight. This thing sends your friends back to 1938. And it's still been there all this time. And twenty years after they died, it attacks some boys who defile their graves?"

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "Let them off with a warning: 'Come 'round here again and you'll get worse.' I've never heard of anything like this."

"UNIT wants to know more," Kate said, "so I have had Lt. Jones assemble a team-"

"Wait, wait," the Doctor said, "I don't need a squad coming along with me."

"You do if I'm involved," Kate said.

"But this angel might be different from the others, Kate!"

"It could. But it could also be a trap, Doctor. My father used to say, 'Whoever invented the phrase "curiosity killed the cat" must have known the Doctor.' That and 'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread; the Doctor rushes in when a fool runs away.' This is exactly the kind of thing that could attract your attention. I'm not having some winged stone freak take you out on my watch."

The Doctor scowled. "Typical human paranoia."

"I prefer to think of it as human protectiveness towards those they care about." She smiled and softened. "Humor me, please. For my father's sake if not for mine. If the angel isn't a threat, fine! I'd love to meet her. Hell, I've been thinking of vacationing in New York and I'd love any travel tips she can give me. But if it's a trap, I want to be sure you come back in one piece with the same face you left with."

The Doctor relented. "Oh, all right." He turned to leave.

"Doctor?" Kate called.

He stopped at the door. "Yes?"

"Don't forget your squad."

"Yes."

"And hand your Tardis key to Lt. Jones, so she won't let you in until the team is aboard."

The Doctor fished the key out of his pocket. "You know me to well." He handed it to Martha.

Martha dropped the key in one pocket and kept her hand open. "And the spare," she said.

The Doctor handed it over.

"And the sonic screwdriver," Martha pressed.

The Doctor relinquished that. "Anything else?"

"If you have to make a pit stop, do it now. Don't know about you, Doctor, but human bladders need frequent emptying." To her squad: "Report to the Tardis in ten. Move out!"

Danny started to leave with the squad. But Kate called after him: "Mr. Pink. A word?"

'Here we go,' he thought. 'Officers and aristos all stick together, don't they?' He kept his face impassive as he turned back to Kate. "Yes, Ma'am?"

"I detect a bit of an attitude when it comes to the Doctor," Kate said. "Quite frankly, I find this surprising; I've never met anyone who didn't like him. Even his enemies speak highly of him. So if there's an issue that could impact this assignment, I'd like to know now."

Danny wrestled with himself for a moment. "Permission to speak freely, Ma'am?"

"Of course."

"I don't like the Doctor," Danny said. "I don't trust him. I tolerate him only because my girlfriend thinks the world of him, but I think she's been hoodwinked like everyone else. Yeah, he's an alien. Yeah, he has the Tardis. Strip away all that and he's another arrogant inbred officer who has no clue about how to work up through the ranks but will gladly send the grunts into a meat grinder while he's sipping tea and reading the Times. And the worst part is you can't see he's not worth the effort because he's in your set and you'll close ranks around him. Which I find disgusting but not surprising. Ma'am."

"I see," Kate said, somehow remaining calm. "Well, Mr. Pink, I appreciate your candor. Let me be equally frank. I don't give a damn what your personal issues with the Doctor are. My only concern is whether you can do your job. If you can't, tell me right now and you will be sent home. Well?"

Danny thought it over. He hated the assignment, everything about it, and wanted out. But he also wanted to keep Clara safe. And there was what that "future version" of himself had said.

"Yes," he said.

"Good," Kate said. "One more thing. There is literally no way of knowing how many times the Doctor has saved this planet throughout history. Meaning there is no way of knowing how many times he saved *you,* and probably even allowed you to exist. You don't want to be grateful, fine. But people above both our pay grades consider him a strategic asset to this planet – our first and last line of defense against things most people think only exist in movies. Furthermore, he was a close personal friend of my father, and I consider him a friend of my family. So if that man comes back with so much as a scratch and I find out it's because of your negligence, I will spend the rest of my life making sure yours is a living hell. Are we clear?"

"Clear, Ma'am."

"Then get out."

Martha was waiting right outside the door. "Overheard what Kate said," Martha said. "Just thought you'd like to know I did come up through the ranks, and the Doctor is one of the people I love the most in the universe. So if he has an 'accident,' or something else happens to him, you'll be lucky if Kate gets her hands on you first." She turned and headed down the corridor.

"Great," Danny muttered.

8

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 _ **AUTHOR'S REQUEST/NOTE**_ _: Anyone who uses Microsoft word, do you know what combination of keys can delete everything you typed? I have run into that hazard before and I do not know how to prevent it. PM me if you have the answer. Beyond that, hope you liked these chapters. Stay tuned!_


	4. Chapter 4

When the team assembled at the Tardis, Martha had the Doctor and Danny wait at the end of the line while she and Clara waited by the door, so the Doctor wouldn't "run off and do something stupid" without the team. Martha bellowed, "All right, you lot! Repeat after me: 'It's bigger on the inside.'"

Danny joined in the group shout: "It's bigger on the inside!"

"Good," Martha said. "You won't have to say it when you're aboard." She nodded to Clara; Clara opened the door. The team filed in. Danny and the Doctor were the last ones allowed aboard.

Clara closed the door as Martha returned the Doctor's keys and screwdriver to him. Then she spoke into her headset mike: "Guinevere to round table, Merlin and the knights are ready to leave the castle. Over." She paused, then added, "Ma'am?"

Kate's voice came over the speaker: "Please repeat Guinevere: Is Merlin present?"

"Yes, Ma'am, Merlin is with us."

"Very well. Proceed."

"Copy." She smiled. "All right, Doctor. It's your show."

"Ok. So I guess the plan is to try and capture this angel alive. Simplest way is to lure her into the Tardis and drop a force field. For that we'll need bait."

Danny arched his eyebrows. "What sort of bait, Doctor?"

"Not what you're thinkin', P. E."

Martha caught on. "The Tardis. You want to use the Tardis as bait."

"A Tardis can provide an angel with an inexhaustible supply of temporal energy," the Doctor explained, "if you don't mind that their feeding frenzy could rip the galaxy in half. But I have a hunch our girl is a little hungry. So, we make a….less than perfect landing in the cemetery. Door 'springs' open a crack. Perception filter masks our life signs. We'll actually be going back in time, landing at 2 AM local time. She'll want a little snack; won't be able to resist the temporal energy from the time rotor and come in. Then we drop the force field. Easy."

"In theory," Danny said. "No plan of battle-"

"—survived its first contact with the enemy, I know," the Doctor said. "Hopefully, she doesn't know that. Any other questions?" A young soldier raised his hand. "Yes!"

"How do we make a less than perfect landing?" the young man said. "You can't fake a crash any more than you can fake a stumble."

"Ah," the Doctor said. "That's the tricky part. We'll fly to the cemetery and land there in 1888. That should be before our girl first showed up in New York. Then we stay at exactly the same spot and move forward in time at slow speed…"

Danny said, "Oh my God, I'm getting the hang of this. It's going to be like flying into turbulence, right? Like heavy chop?"

The Doctor grinned. "Exactly!"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Worst cargo plane ride of my life was into this massive storm. And the pilot was an officer."

"Hmmm…" the Doctor said. "Well, you should be all right. Your perception of time is too narrow to really be affected by it. It'll just be bumpy. I, on the other hand, as a Time Lord, can be very susceptible to temporal motion sickness."

Danny smiled. "You mean I might get to see you throw up?"

"Possibly."

"Thank you, Doctor. I feel better about it already."

"Thought you might, P. E."

Martha turned to Clara. "And this is the way they are all the time?"

Clara nodded.

"You're more patient than I am, sister."

"You have no idea," Clara lamented.

Martha turned to the Doctor. "So now that we're done hosing the decks with testosterone, boys? Yeah? Doctor? Whenever you're ready."

"All right!" He worked the controls. "Calvary Cemetry, 1888, here we come."

The time rotor wheezed and groaned. Then the deck plates rattled.

"1938," the Doctor said. "'Chop' in the time vortex. And here we are, 1888. Soldier, would you open the door?"

One of the soldiers opened the door on a sunlit green space. They could just make out a skyline in the distance.

"I've beefed up the door force fields and inertial dampers," the doctor said, "so no one should fall out. But hang onto something. But anyone who would like to watch the trip, get a good vantage point."

Danny stuck close to Clara as she came round to a side of the console she could see the door from. "Ready when you are, Doctor."

"Right," the Doctor said. "For reference, we are looking west towards Manhattan. Watch the sky." He worked a lever. "Starting forward."

For a moment, Danny didn't think anything was happening. Then the sun set rapidly over Manhattan. Darkness fell. The Moon set as the sky lit again. Clouds race across the sky as the sun set again, faster than before. Then more days passed, faster and faster.

"Yes, it's like time lapse," the Doctor said, "only it's real. Passing through the 1890s. There's January 1, 1900. Happy New Year!"

The skyline changed as they watched, and more graves sprang up on the landscape.

"Going through the oughts…" the Doctor narrated. "…the teens…1919, 1920, 1921…"

The deck rattled.

"…that was 1929…." He sounded queasy. "Oh, boy…you might get your wish P. E….ugh…."

Lights flickered and the deck rattled. Alarms sounded.

"….thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, hang on lads and lasses, this is it…"

The lights went out and it sounded and felt as if the Tardis was racing over large rocks at 100 miles an hour. Danny began to wonder if the Tardis would hold together. Then the 'turbulence' began to subside and the lights began to flicker less.

"…passing 1940," the Doctor groaned. "Oh, boy. Coming up on the 1970s." He paused. "Anyone who doesn't want to can look away now."

The twin towers of the World Trade Center sprang up.

"Oh, God…" Danny groaned. "Can we stop? Do something?"

"Can't," the Doctor said. "Sorry. Same reason I can't go back and get the Williams. You can close the door if you want and open it when we're close to landing."

"No. Just let me know."

"September 11, 2001, in five, four, three, two, one…"

The twin towers vanished in a flash of flame and smoke.

"Was there a point to that, Doctor?" Danny choked.

"We all need a reminder of what the stakes are, including me," the Doctor said. "Right, entering 2010. We land in 2014, the lights go out and we all hide. It's going to be tight. Target date in five, four, three, two, one!"

The Tardis stopped with a thud, and the view outside the door was of a clear, Moonless night. The lights went out. The team scattered to the catwalk and below the console. "And no one look at the door," the Doctor said as he huddled with Danny, Martha, and Clara below the console. "We want our girl to think there's no one at home."

They waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Nothing happened.

Martha checked her watch. "It's been ten minutes. What's keeping this thing? She taking the tube or something?"

"I don't know," the Doctor said. "Everyone stay put. I'm going to take a quick reading."

The Doctor padded away. Then Martha heard the door shut. Clara and Martha just realized what was happening when the lights came on and the time rotor groaned.

Martha sprang up and ran at the door, Clara hot on her heels. "No!" Martha shouted. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. That idiot is going to get himself killed!"

8

8

The Doctor padded up the steps. True to form, Martha's troops did as they had been told and didn't interfere. He slipped out the door into the night. Then he turned, aimed his screwdriver at the Tardis, and sent the signal. The doors shut and locked and she dematerialized. He swept the area with the screwdriver and studied the readings. Then he pocketed it.

The Doctor pulled a flashlight out of a pocket and made his way to Amy and Rory's grave. The headstone was still lying on the ground, the whole row cordoned off by police tape.

"'Rule Britannia,'" the Doctor quoted, "'Britannia rule the waves. Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.' That's what their navy sings. But do they really 'rule the waves'? Can they tell the ocean what to do? Sure, by necessity they became a naval power and that lead them to being a world leader for centuries. And even now they have an impressive navy. But if the queen went to the edge of the deck of an aircraft carrier and ordered the ocean to let her walk on it, what do you think would happen if she jumped in? Britons don't rule the waves anymore than Gallifreyans are really lords of time. We can travel in it better than anyone else. But we're not 'lords' of it. And time is infinitely more dangerous than a water ocean." He turned around. "Don't you agree?"

The angel was standing behind him, smiling nervously with her hands folded in front of her.

"The boys were a mistake," he said. "It was an impulsive act that got my attention. So now you think it's time to face the music. Well, you're right. This has been a while in coming. I've given the matter a lot of thought.

"At first, I was angry at you. I'd never been so enraged. I'd known Amy her whole life; she was like family. I was at her wedding. Then when I married her daughter, River, she and Rory became family. And you took them away! I wanted to kill you. I wanted to slaughter ever last weeping angel in the Universe. To hell with my antiquated morals! But as soon as I thought that, I knew Amy would not approve. She would try to talk me out of it. So I didn't do it.

"Then I was angry with myself. I'd made a stupid mistake, letting my guard down at the wrong moment. Then I blamed myself for involving them in the first place, for taking anyone aboard as a companion. I saw myself as doing it out of vanity – to impress people of lesser species with my scientific knowledge. And Amy Pond, the girl who waited, she adored me. How could I pass that up? All so I looked good while I once again saved humans who had butted in where they had no business going. So I turned my back. For two hundred year I went from place to place, wandering space and time, keeping to myself, not caring what happened, finally settling in Victorian London. And there I would stay and to hell with the human race.

"And then Clara…an incarnation of her…came along and shook me out of it. And as time went on, I realized I couldn't change myself or what I believe. I couldn't ignore the fact that I'm afraid of the dark and that I hate being alone. And that if I'm going to involve others in this insanely dangerous life of mine, there are going to be consequences for them and for me. So I realized I couldn't be angry at myself anymore. I have to forgive myself. It's not easy. But I try every day.

"And that brings us back to you. I just scanned for your energy signature. Your levels are what you would expect for a weeping angel who survived a time paradox and who's fed only once in the past 76 years. You felt some…obligation to them. That's why you lost your cool with those boys. And that's why you've been starving yourself for a human lifetime."

He took a half step closer to her and went on: "This has to be the hardest thing I have ever done. Every fiber in me is screaming not to do it, but it is the right thing to do. So I will say this: I don't blame you. I forgive you. I don't want you to die. I…I can work out a way for you to safely feed off the Tardis' temporal energy. And if you would like to travel with me, you would be more than welcome. It's…it's what Amy would want."

The flashlight went out. Then he felt the angel throw her arms around him. Her body shook and he heard soft squealing in his ear as she hugged him.

"I…I don't think I'm the hugging sort," the Doctor said. "But I suppose under the circumstances I can make an exception." He folded his arms around her and felt himself smile. "I hope you're happy as you seem to be; I should be embarrassed if this is all a trap."

"Nnn mmm." She rocked him in her arms. Then she began humming softly.

"All right," he said. "Tricky part is getting the Tardis back and returning us to UNIT."

"Mmmmm."

"That sounded like 'I've got this.' What are you going to-"

He blinked as his surroundings suddenly became light. He was indoors, in a room. He was facing shelves filled with bottles of chemicals above a lab table, his arms still wrapped around the empty space the angel had been in.

"…do?"

"What the devil…" a familiar voice said behind him. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

The Doctor spun and recognized the speaker at once: Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, only much younger in his military uniform. Sergeant Benton stood next to him. They were standing next to the Tardis. He recognized the lab he had had as UNIT scientific advisor; this had to be around the time of his third and fourth incarnations.

The Doctor grinned. "Brigadier! So good to see you again. And Sergeant Benton! How are you?"

"Who…?" the Brigadier prompted.

"It's me—the Doctor."

The Brigdier's eyes widened. "You mean you changed again and got away from Leftennant Sullivan not two minutes after—No, wait, let me guess: You are a future version of the Doctor who has come back in time and you need our assistance on something."

"Absolutely right! My dear Brigadier, you've got it! The essentials anyway. Your mind is opening to new possibilities. I never knew. I'm proud of you."

"Actually, Doctor, I was saving myself an argument. So, what is it this time? You need your other self's help with another universe-threatening menace?"

"No," the Doctor said. "I don't need him. In fact, I don't want you to breathe a word of this to anyone – not Sarah, not Harry, not me – nobody. I'm in the middle of something, and I need the Tardis. I need to get to Victoria Station."

Benton grinned. "You don't need the Tardis for that, Doc! I can give you a lift."

"In 2014," the Doctor added.

"Oh," Benton said.

"Yes," the Doctor said. "Assuming I-" he dug small card out of one pocket and put it back. "Yes, I can."

"Doctor," the Brigadier said, "am I to understand you need to take the Tardis to 2014 so you can ride the tube?"

"Yes," the Doctor replied. "I can preset the return trip and wipe the nav logs so my other self will never know she was gone. But I need one of you to press the button to bring her back."

"All right," the Brigadier said, "I'll do it…after you tell us who she was. Is. Will be. You get the idea."

"She?" the Doctor said. "What 'she'? There's no 'she.'"

"Doctor, please," the Brigadier said. "I may be only human, but I am not an idiot. You were most definitely embracing someone before you arrived here. We're all men, here, Doctor, so I don't think it would hurt the space time continuum if you gave us some details."

"There's nothing to tell, Brigadier! Cross my hearts and hope to turn into a jawa the next time I regenerate."

"Have it your way. Come along, Mr. Benton." The two men began to stroll out of the lab.

"She was an alien!" the Doctor said.

The Brigadier and Benton spun on their heels to cross back to the Doctor. Both men smiled slightly. The Brigadier said, "Go on."

"Very dangerous alien," the doctor said. "A species we've yet to encounter. Not for some time."

"I see," the Brigadier said. "And where did you…" He cleared his throat. "…'encounter' this dangerous alien?"

"In a cemetery, Brigadier. In New York City. In the middle of the night."

"I see. And was anyone else there, Doctor? Companions, UNIT personnel, that sort of thing?"

"Uh…no. We were all alone."

"In a cemetery," the Brigadier said. "In New York. In the middle of the night. All alone. With a dangerous female alien."

"Yes," the Doctor said. "That's all I can tell you. But it's not what you think. Honest."

"Very well then," the Brigadier said. "Show me what button to push and we'll see you get back to your 'encounter.'"

"Rasilon's rod…"

8

8

From Benton's perspective, the Tardis rumbled, faded, and then became solid again. The Brigadier stepped out, shut the door behind him, and made sure it was locked.

Benton said, "So he's back in the future?"

"Yes," the Brigadier answered. "Apparently he wanted to get back to UNIT and he couldn't take the Tardis all the way."

"What do you make of that, sir? What do you think the ol' Doc's into? Or will get into?"

"No idea, Mr. Benton, and you and I must never discuss the situation again *ever,* starting right now. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. That said, mark my words, someday, I'll find out what that was all about. And if not me, then another Lethbridge-Stewart will. Count on it."


	5. Chapter 5

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart looked with surprise as the Doctor entered the control room of UNIT HQ. Before she could say anything, the Doctor put his finger over his lips.

Martha's voice came over the speakers: "Guinevere to round table, Merlin and the knights are ready to leave the castle. Over." A pause, then she added, "Ma'am?"

"Please repeat Guinevere," Kate said into her mike: "Is Merlin present?"

"Yes, Ma'am, Merlin is with us."

"Very well. Proceed."

"Copy."

They waited until the Tardis had vanished from their monitors. Then Kate turned to the Doctor. "What happened? What's gone wrong?"

The Doctor grinned. "Nothing. Something's gone right!"

8

8

"No!" Martha shouted. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. That idiot is going to get himself killed!" She slapped the doors with both hands and turned to face the console. "Where are we going? Back to UNIT I expect?"

Clara was already at the controls. "Yup. About five minutes after we left."

"Martha Jones, you are an idiot!" Martha growled. "I should have known he'd pull something like that."

The Tardis came to a halt. Then the doors burst open and the Doctor rushed in!

Martha stammered, "Doctor? How did you get back to UNIT?"

"She sent me back," the Doctor said, excited and happy as he closed the doors. "Well, part of the way. She couldn't send me forward in time to get to UNIT after we left, so she sent me back to UNIT when the Brigadier ran it." The Doctor got to the console and began working the controls. The time rotor wheezed. "Borrowed the Tardis while my other self was…sleeping, which is why I have no memory of it. Tube from Victoria station and here I am." The Tardis stopped. "And here we are, where and when we were a few moments ago." He went back to the doors. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce my new companion." He opened the doors. The angel was standing there with a shy, nervous smile on her face. Then the lights went out. When the lights came back on, the angel was standing closer to the console. The Doctor closed the doors.

Clara said, "Her!? She's joining the crew?"

"My ship," the Doctor said, "my decision who joins. But don't worry. She's not a threat."

"Yeah?" Clara said. "Well does she have a name?"

"Ah…" the Doctor stammered. "Y'know, we didn't get around to that."

Danny arched his eyebrows. "A few minutes alone with no name and she's joined the team? You work fast."

Clara Was Not Amused. "Someone did," she groused.

"Hush," the Doctor said. "First things first." He worked some controls. "This ought to satisfy our new friend's nutritional requirements."

Golden light flowed from the time rotor to the angel, who emitted a contented sigh.

Clara's eyes widened. "Is she eating or having an orgasm?"

"Oh, that's nothing," the Doctor said, "just showing satisfaction."

Martha said, "I should say."

"You humans, such filthy minds." The golden light stopped flowing. "That should be enough. Now then. Telepathic circuits online. Linking to a voice synthesis subroutine. And our new friend should be able to talk to us without breaking anyone's neck."

Static crackled from the speaker. "Ah..ah…yes…" Then a very feminine, very English voice sounded: "Yes! This is marvelous, Doctor. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Would you care to introduce yourself?"

"Of course. You may call me Gabrielle. And as the Doctor has already said, I am no threat to you. I rather like humans. You are quite my favorite species, and I am not going to hurt anymore of you if I can help it."

Somehow, Clara's smile did not crack her face. But she was straining to hold it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Clara. I've been traveling with the Doctor for quite some time now. Love the accent. Where'd you get it?"

"The same way you did. I have lived in Londinium off and on for the past two thousand years. It's like my home. I always seem to get back to it no matter where else I go. Know what I mean?"

"Yes," the Doctor said, "I do. You know they shortened the name a while back."

"I know! I'm usually good at keeping up but that always throws me. That and the changes to shatranj. They call it chess now, right? And white moves first? I remember when I play often enough, but then I forget."

The Doctor nodded.

Danny said, "So let me see…You sent his friends into the past to die, and now we're ok with this?"

Gabrielle said sadly, "It will never be 'ok,' sir, not for the Doctor and not for me. That is the nature of time. You do things because you did them, because you have to. I sent them back because I knew I would. At least I was able to unite him with his wife this time, so there is that comfort."

Martha said, "'This time.' So…there was another time? I mean, you were in the other timeline?"

"Yes," Gabrielle said. "I was at Winter Quay. Rory was the first one to arrive, and I took care of him. And over the years, he became my friend…"


	6. Chapter 6

**1938**

Rory lay curled up in a ball where the angels had dumped him on the roof of Winter Quay. He kept his eyes squeezed shut against the tears. The last minute was seared into his brain: The surprised look on Amy's face as she'd lost her balance and fallen off the roof; him, River and the Doctor screaming as the angels fell on them during the moments when the Winter Quay neon sign flickered; and finally Doctor and River's voices suddenly stopping. He hoped they had been sent back in time and not met some other dire fate. Who knew what lengths these things would go to if they had been crossed too often?

He pushed himself to a sitting position. It was pitch black, but he was aware of movement around him. And he had the impression of cruel mockery behind it.

"All right then," he challenged. "Let's get it over with. You want me? You want to send me back? Let's do it! Send me home! Come on, you bitches! What are you waiting for?"

More movement in the shadows. Then a rush away from him. He heard the huge footsteps of the Statue of Liberty retreating. Then the light went on and there was one angel left standing between him and the door. Though physically about the same size as the others, she seemed forlorn somehow. She did not look happy. And she was carrying a large manual type writer in her hands. The light dimmed again. When the light came up again, the angel was sitting next to him; she'd set the typewriter down in front of her. And Rory saw the lines of water running from her eyes. She was crying.

Rory nodded. He wanted to unload his rage and grief on one of these angels, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't be right with this one. "Let me guess," he said. "You feel different from the others? You feel bad about what happened? So they're leaving it to you to do the mopping up? You're probably the butt of a lot of jokes and they want to get their laughs by making you do the dirty jobs? Yeah, it's something like that. Well, I'll let you in on a secret: The crazy ones, the ones that don't quite fit in, they're the best sort. I ought to now. So you keep thinking what you think and believing what you believe."

He blinked, and in that interval the angel's expression changed to a slight, sad smile.

"Yeah," he advised. "Don't let them get you down." He wiped his tears and looked at the typewriter. "So what's this for, then? This how you're going to try and talk to me? All right. Guess I'll have to look away. Let me know when you're done."

Rory turned away. He tried to lose himself in the view as the typewriter rattled. None of it seemed real, as if something had gone wrong and something else had been meant to happen. He knew Amy was dead and the Doctor and River were…who knew. Yet it also seemed wrong.

They typewriter stopped its staccato song and he heard a polite cough. He turned and saw the angel had scooted over to make room for him. He moved around. By the light of the sign, he could read what she had written:

_Rory, my name is Gabrielle. You do not know me, but I have taken care of you for 41 years. In fact, you were the very first human to arrive here, and I have been your companion until you died just now. You spoke of Amy often. I know you loved her very much. If there had been anyway to prevent what had happened, I would have done it. But you are living in a time loop, so unfortunately, there was nothing to be done. I am so sorry for that, for what it is worth. But I will recover her body and I have arranged for her to be buried with your older self. So you will be reunited in the end. I hope you can take comfort from that._

He looked at Gabrielle. "Thanks," he said. "That is very decent of you." He sniffled. "So, how are we going to do this? Just a touch, yeah?"

He looked away. The typewriter rattled. Another cough. He read:

_I know it is asking a lot at the moment but I would like to embrace you. I certainly need a hug right now. If that is all right with you. Then tell me when you are ready and I will send you back._

"Sure. Why not?"

He knelt in front of Gabrielle, closed his eyes, and spread his arms. He felt her move into his arms and embrace him. He hugged her back. Instead of cold stone, she felt like a normal person, like…

No. Best not to dwell on that. Not now.

Gabrielle's body shook and he felt her sob.

"Hey, none of that," he soothed. "Amy doesn't like long faces. And I'm a nurse, too, so I know what it's like to lose patients you've made friends with. But from what I saw, old me was in pretty decent shape, so you did a good job taking care of him."

Gabrielle hummed and squeezed him a little tighter.

Rory felt a little better. Even though the angels had cost him his wife, daughter, and son-in-law, he felt no animosity towards Gabrielle. That would come in handy when he met her again.

"All right," he said. "I'm ready. See you on the other side."

Gabrielle squeezed him a little tighter. Then her body vanished and he felt raindrops hitting him.

Rory opened his eyes. He was kneeling on the front steps of Winter Quay. And it was raining.

8

8

 **1897**

Two more flaps of her wings and Gabrielle banked and glided between the crystal spires reaching up from the forest. Of course, in the real world, it was dangerous to fly. It had to be in the dark when no one was looking and there was the risk of running into something. And by day, turning to stone at the wrong moment could be deadly. But here in the quantum mindspace she and Lucielle shared when their physical bodies touched, Gabrielle could not only assume her flesh form of a young woman with dark hair in a green dress and dark wings, but fly by day as much as she wanted.

She banked around one spire, turned, and went the opposite way around another. Then she dove towards the ground, built up speed, and pulled up, mighty wing beats driving her skyward. She looped, banked through an s-turn, and skimmed the treetops.

Then she realized she had lost track of Lucielle.

"Lucielle?" she called. She looked around. Other than feeling the other angel's presence, she had no idea where she was. "Where-"

Something crashed into her from above. Gabrielle had just enough time to realize it was Lucielle when they tumbled out of control through the canopy and landed in a clearing with a solid thud. Gabrielle found herself lying on her back. Then Lucielle laughed as she jumped on top of Gabrielle, straddling her, holding Gabrielle's shoulders down.

Gabrielle said, "You idiot! You could have killed us both."

"Oh, don't' be so serious." In her flesh form, Lucielle had red hair green, green eyes, and generous red lips. "This is a dream, remember? Our dream." She began to lean down. "I was beginning to worry if you still cared about me. You've spent more time with that silly typewriter thing than me lately."

"We have to be ready," Gabrielle said, softening as she looked up into Lucielle's eyes and began to yearn for those soft lips. "Humans will start arriving from the future any day now. We have to be ready to take care of them. Which means I have to be ready to communicate with them."

"We don't need machines for that."

"They're social animals. We should try to communicate directly as best we can without causing unnecessary suffering. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten you. In fact, Lucielle, I've been thinking about you a lot lately."

"Oh, really?"

"You doubt me?"

"I would like some proof of your affection, yes." Her lips were just inches above Gabrielle's.

"Then you shall have it, my love." Gabrielle leaned up to kiss Lucielle. As the kiss grew deeper and their embrace tightened, something touched their combined awareness.

Gabrielle pulled out of the kiss. "What's that?"

"Nothing."

"No, it's something."

Gabrielle shifted her attention to the real world where she and Lucielle stood in the lobby of Winter Quay, their wingtips touching.

A voice was calling from the other side of the heavy front doors. Someone was pounding on it.

Lucielle wondered, ((Who's that? A human knocking on our door and demanding entry? Why?)) (Her words were carried by waves of quantum energy no human could hear; and even if they could, not even a Tardis could translate the angels' ancient language.)

((Why do you think?)) Gabrielle answered. ((I think we've got one!))

8

8

Rory got to his feet. Gas lamps lit the street, and he could smell horse manure. But Winter Quay was dark.

He turned to the door. It had opened on its own when he had first got here, but now it didn't.

'Unbelievable,' he thought. 'Great nurse, lousy pilot.' He banged on the door. "Hey!" he shouted. "You lot. Open up."

Nothing happened.

He banged again. "Oi! You wanted me here, right? Got me back from the future, yeah? Well, I'm here! And if you want me to die of old age in that room, it would help if I don't CATCH MY DEATH OF COLD NOW!" He broke off. "Oh, God, do they have flu shots back…now? I don't think I got one last year."

He turned away and looked out over the street. He heard the door open. He turned and saw two angels holding the door. He recognized Gabrielle; she was smiling. The other wasn't smiling as broadly. If anything, the other angel looked annoyed.

'So you've had a bad night?' Rory thought. 'Good.' He turned to Gabrielle. 'Remember, she doesn't know you,' he thought, 'so act daft. Maybe this is why the Doctor is the way he is.'

"Hello, yes," he said. "Sorry for the outburst. Williams, Rory Williams. I've had a long trip from 2012; the layover in 1938 was a bitch. So I'm a little cranky. It's not your fault. Well, actually, it is, but that's neither here nor there and hasn't happened yet if it ever will. Anyway, I seem to have lost my luggage along with my entire family. Is my room ready? Sorry, I didn't call ahead to check my reservation."

Gabrielle didn't respond… of course. "Oh, right," he said. "Have to blink." He closed his eyes and heard the door shut.

8

8

When Rory closed his eyes, Gabrielle felt her gain enough of a flesh form to close the door. ((Go and get a room ready,)) she said to Lucielle.

((Which one is his?))

((The place is empty. Pick one!))

((Oh, calm down. It's not like he's a suitor. I think some rooms on the 8th floor have been finished.))

((I'll be in the office with him. Go and check and come back.))

((All right.))

Lucille rushed down the hall. When Gabrielle was sure Lucielle was out of sight, Gabrielle opened the door.

8

8

"Unbelievable, just unbelievable," Rory groaned. Gabrielle's future self had said he was the first to arrive, but he didn't realize the place wasn't quite ready to go. 'Nice to know monsters have cock-ups, too.'

It started to rain harder. Rory began to wonder how long he'd have to wait when the door opened again.

Rory stepped into the lobby. The door shut and it was dark. Then a hand grasped his and tugged gently. Rory allowed the unseen guide – Gabrielle?—to lead him down a hall into a room. He was guided into a chair. An oil lamp hanging from the ceiling lit. Rory found himself in a small office. The door was to one side, filing cabinets on the other side. He was sitting in a swiveling chair. He turned it around. Behind him was a small circular desk. Gabrielle sat on the other side, a manual typewriter on it. Rory tried the table and saw it swiveled, too.

"Ah, I see," he said. "Ingenious. But why not just talk? Is it part of the turn to stone thing? Never mind."

He swiveled away. The typewriter rattled at some length. Then he some creaking and a cough. He turned and the typewriter was facing him. He read:

_Hello, Mr. Williams. I am Gabrielle. In answer to your question, we do not have voices, or not ones you can hear. The closest we can come to spoken communication is to break someone's neck and use parts of their nervous system. I find that unnecessarily gruesome under the circumstances. This may be cumbersome, but it is the best method of direct communication I could find. Since it sounds as if you already know about us, I do not need to make a lengthy introduction. You will be spending the rest of your life here, and I will be tending to your needs. I will also provide as much company as I can. To that end we have a small library, and I am acquainted with human board games. I apologize for not being adequately prepared for your arrival. We knew humans would be arriving soon, but we did not know when exactly. In truth, not all our rooms are ready yet; my associate is trying to find one for you. In the mean time, could you clarify something? You said you were from 2012 and 1938? I am confused._

He laughed. "So the oldest things in the universe can have cock-ups. And when you…lot send me back, you have to send me to this date, so it's a perpetual cock-up. Dear me." He looked into Gabrielle's eyes. "Not funny for you, I expect. But I'm a nurse where I come from. I've seen every sort of screw-up with a new arrival that can happen. So you have my sympathies. I'll try not to be a troublesome patient. Had enough of those, too.

"Anyway, call me Rory. And as to how I got here…" He shrugged. No sense not telling her. "My son-in-law is a Time Lord. Maybe you heard of him, the Doctor? Took us all over time and space. Anyway, we were visiting New York in 2012. Then I went to get coffee and one of you lot sent me back to 1938. April, I think. The Doctor and River followed. Had a bit of trouble getting here…and then…" It was too fresh. He started crying. "Sorry." He turned away. He heard the typewriter rattle, then swivel back. He read:

_That's all right. I am sorry you had such an arduous journey. We'll get you to a room and you can dry off and rest._

"Thank you-"

The lamp flickered. When it relit, the annoyed angel was standing in the door.

((I've got room 802 ready,)) Lucille said. ((But he's short bath towels. I'll have to go to the laundry room to get them.)) (Rory heard none of this, of course.)

((But everything else is ready?)) Gabrielle asked.

((Yes.))

((Then I'll get the towels.))

((All right. Have fun with your new pet.))

The light dimmed. As it came up, Rory saw the annoyed angel was gone and he heard the typewriter go again.

_Good news! Your room is ready. Room 802. The elevator works so you should have no trouble. I'll be up in a few minutes with your bath towels. You can get dry and rested. I am sorry for your misfortune, but if you behave yourself, your life here shouldn't be too unpleasant._

Rory smiled. "Oh, Gabrielle, I think we're going to get on famously."


	7. Chapter 7

**1922**

Rory sat with his eyes closed as he felt Gabrielle's shaving brush cover his face with shaving cream. She'd decided the 25th anniversary of his arrival would be a good day for a haircut and a shave. They'd got their communication down to a science; it was hard for him to remember ever having to talk to someone who actually spoke as opposed to typing her answers while he looked away or closed his eyes.

The brush went away and then the straight-edge razor gently scraped across his face. Time passed. Then his face was dried off. He waited a moment and then felt aftershave being slapped on. Then a tap on his shoulder.

Rory opened his eyes and rose from the chair in his bedroom. He entered his bathroom. A hand-mirror had been placed in the sink below the mirror. He inspected his reflection. His hair had thinned, but it still looked good. He used the hand mirror to see the back of his head. A bald spot seemed to be forming, but that was to be expected.

He came out of the room. "Well done! I feel almost presentable. I don't suppose you'd like to go dancing with me? Of course it would have to be in the dark, but then you wouldn't be able to see how lousy a dancer I am."

The lights blinked (Gabrielle had been very pleased when electric lighting had been installed the year before) and Gabrielle had her sad smile. The humans' movements in Winter Quay were restricted, if they were allowed out of their rooms at all; and there was no interaction between them. Gabrielle had been the only person he'd talked to, but with other humans under her care, he would go days without seeing her. It was all to prevent escapes, but still, some attempts had been made. He'd heard mention of a young girl, a middle-aged woman, and an old woman who were the same person having tried to escape twice. But flirting with and teasing Gabrielle helped him feel a bit better.

He turned to the small table with their latest chess game. "I've thought about my next moves. You don't want to resign?" He waited. "Lights didn't blink, so I'll take that as a 'no.' And no cheating with the lights down." He moved his knight and took a pawn. "Check."

The lights blinked; Gabriel's movements in between flashes looked like stop motion. She took his knight with a bishop.

Rory moved his rook. "Check."

Gabrielle moved her king.

Rory moved his bishop. "Check mate. I'd say good game, but you were a little off this time. Is everything all right?"

Gabrielle thought about what to tell Rory. They'd started sending some humans back, and it had been harder than she'd expected – dealing with the grief of losing her charges and facing the fear in their younger selves's eyes as they were run down. She would never see them again, and the last time she saw them, they feared her. But her affinity for the humans had been the cause of much mockery – even some remarks from Lucielle. So while she saw Rory as a friend she could confide him, she was hesitant to tell him.

The lights dimmed and Gabrielle heard footsteps. When the lights came up, another angel was standing in the door.

Gabrielle recognized her. She said in the language no human could hear, ((Yes, Muriel?))

((You are wanted in the icon room,)) Muriel answered. ((Her Divinity Archangel Michelle wishes to speak with you immediately.))

A shudder passed through Gabrielle's being. ((I'll be there as soon as I-))

((Immediately. I will tend to your…favorite.))

((All right. Rory already ate so you just have to put away the shaving supplies after he goes to bed. He won't be any trouble. Just let me inform him.))

((Very well.)) The lights blinked and Muriel covered her eyes.

Gabrielle dimmed the lights and moved to stand by her typewriter on his dresser. Rory knew what that meant and looked away. She typed a quick note. The lights blinked again and she moved to one side. Rory moved to the typewriter and read:

_Rory, I'm afraid it's an early light's out tonight. I have to attend to something immediately. Muriel will leave when you turn in and put everything away._

Rory looked up at her. "Everything all right? I don't like the sound of that." He looked away.

She typed, _I just have to report to my superiors. It shouldn't be a problem. I'll see you at breakfast._

"Yeah, I've had a few 'no problem' calls to the bosses' office myself. I hope it wasn't me."

_No, I'm sure you had nothing to do with it. It'll be fine. I have to go now, Rory. Good night._

"Yeah, good night."

The lights dimmed. When they came back on, Gabrielle and her typewriter were gone. Muriel stood there with a no-nonsense look on her face.

"I just have to go to the loo," he said. "You going to watch to make sure I don't dig my way out?"

No answer. Of course.

"Angels. No sense of humor." He went into the bathroom.

8

8

Gabrielle hoped she hid her concern as she carried her typewriter through Winter Quay. She'd hoped she could reassure Rory because their method of communication kept her facial expressions and vocal inflections out of it. But he'd still seen through her. Not that it mattered. A summons to use Michelle's icon to commune with her could mean either commendation or condemnation with little in between, and if it were the latter, all she could think that her humans would be left in the care of weeping angels who didn't even try to interact with them as much as she did.

She left her typewriter in her small office and wondered if she would see it and her office supplies again. Then she hustled down the short corridor to the icon room. The door opened as she approached. The life-size image of Michelle's stone form was in a framed painting against the wall, gazing at her. The lights flickered, allowing Gabrielle to walk across the room between flashes under Michelle's gaze. She knelt before the icon, eyes towards the floor.

She reached up, touched the icon, and said, ((Your Divinty, I come at your summons and ask to commune with you.))

Her attention turned inward, and her mind's eye was transported into Michelle's mindspace. She found herself in her flesh form on a portico overlooking an ornate garden, a spiral galaxy filling the blue sky. Michelle was tall, statuesque, and blond, wearing a gold trimmed dress. She sat on a divan overlooking the garden, seemingly aware of everything and dismissing everything. Armored angels – her loyal retainers – stood to either side. It was said archangels could maintain their flesh forms even when looked at, and could bestow that power on those they favored. Even though she was two billion years old, Gabrielle had yet to see that in person…and even if it were true, she doubted she could curry such favor with any of the archangels.

She hurried across the portico and genuflected in front of Michelle. "Your Divinity. I am honored to respond to your summons."

"Rise, Gabrielle," Michelle answered. "This is not a formal audience."

Gabrielle got to her feet, and hoped she didn't look as nervous as she felt.

"Walk with me," Michelle said.

Gabrielle stayed a respectful pace behind Michelle as they descended the steps from the portico and entered the garden.

Michelle said, "I have summoned you, Gabrielle, because concerns have been raised about your interaction with your human charges. Some say you have become too attached to them, too emotionally involved with these creatures. I wanted to hear your response to this."

"I do spend time with them, but because they are social animals. Companionship is a necessary part providing for their emotional and mental health, which we have made ourselves responsible for."

"Indeed. But you did not answer my question."

Gabrielle swallowed. She had no choice to be honest. "Yes. I have befriended some of them. But solely within the context of performing my duties."

"You have had to send some of them back in time now. How was that?"

"Difficult."

"Yet you know it is necessary. Do you think you are suited to Winter Quay? Perhaps you would be more suited to a traditional hunting ground?"

"Your Divnity…I can perform my duties as required of me. But we have never before had this level of involvement in the lives of our prey. There are bound to be unforeseen consequences to having so much interaction with them."

"Yes, you go to extraordinary lengths to communicate directly with them. You use a writing machine, a 'type-writer,' I believe it is called."

"As I said, they are social animals in need of companionship. Direct communication facilitates this. It is vital to their emotional health, and my observations show their emotional health is just as vital to their well-being as food and shelter. And so far my humans have been healthier and more obedient than those in the care of others."

"So it is said."

They walked in silence for a moment, then Michelle said, "Do you know that Winter Quay was my idea? It's been a notion I've had for a few thousand years, and now the humans have graciously provided us with the means to realize it. Only fare as they inspired me. Many in the Host, even many archangels, see it as folly. They would prefer we continue to stalk and hunt on the edge of the human herds as we always have. But I prefer to take a longer view. The humans have more potential than even they realize. Why should we not harness it, especially as their superiors, we can do so wisely?"

"As you say, Your Divinty."

"And Winter Quay is still very much an experiment; who knows what will work with these humans? So while I count myself among those who find your methods unorthodox, I am not so narrow-minded as to not give them a chance." They stopped walking, and Michelle turned to face Gabrielle. "Humans have an expression, 'rocking the boat,' and I see no reason to do that at this point. You may continue to use whatever means you deem necessary to fulfill your duties. I can't tell you not to develop affection for them. I confess I find them adorable at times, too, and cannot blame you. But remember your first loyalty is to your Choir and the Host."

"Yes, Your Divinity. Of course. And thank you."


	8. Chapter 8

**December 1937/January 1938**

On December 31, 1937, it was decided to let Rory and the other better-behaved humans up onto the roof so they could watch the New Year's fireworks in the distance over Times Square. _Don't worry about the cold,_ Gabrielle had typed when she explained it. _I can spare some temporal energy. Just stand close to me and I'll keep you warm._

"Gabrielle! That almost sounds like a proposition. What would Amy say?"

_Probably, "Watch your hands, you stone-faced hussy, or I'll come at you with a hammer and chisel."_

Rory chuckled. "She would. I can hear her saying that. That was very good."

_You've done a wonderful job of describing her, Rory; I feel like I know her._

And so they stood side-by-side on the roof, Rory in a bathrobe and pajamas, and Gabrielle extending one wing around him, allowing the warmth from her body to take the bite off the chill night air.

Fireworks silently leapt into the sky, then the noise reached them.

Rory grinned. "Happy New Y-"

Blue lightening crackled overhead, and a scraping roaring sound echoed over the roof as the ground shook. Then all was quiet except for the noise of the fireworks.

"Hello, Doctor." He turned to Gabrielle. "We have to talk. Your office."

8

8

In Gabrielle's small office, they sat on opposite sides of her typing desk, the typewriter between them.

"I have to tell you what happened when I came back," Rory said. "It's important that you know, Gabrielle. It matters so much. You have no idea…"

He trailed off; his breathing had grown labored the last few weeks. Then he looked up at her and said, "We got to the room. The Doctor told us not to look, but it was too late. I saw the old me die. The Doctor told me what would happen. But they hadn't got me yet. So I said, 'What if I run? And that never happens?' The Doctor said I had just witnessed my own future. But River said if I got out it would create a paradox and kill all the angels. Then Amy and I ran for it.

"We were chased up to the roof, and that's where I saw the Statue of Liberty. I'd always wanted to visit her, but she couldn't wait. Typical woman. Anyway, I got the idea that if I jumped off the roof and died before I could be sent back, that would also create a paradox. And I'd come back to life because River said this place would never happen, so what did I jump off of? But I was too scared. I couldn't do it. I asked Amy to push me. She wouldn't and asked me if I could do it if it was her. I told her that to save her I could do anything. She climbed on the edge next to me and said, 'Prove it.'

"I said, 'I can't take you.'

"She said, 'You said we'd come back to life. Together or not at all.'

"The Doctor and River came up the fire escape. The Doctor shouted, 'What the hell are you doing?' Then the sign blinked. I heard footsteps and felt hands grab me. I…lost my grip on Amy. The light came on just long enough for me to see her fall off the roof. I was screaming. I saw other angels had pounced on River and the Doctor. The lights went out and they were gone…"

He trailed off, crying. Then he looked up at Gabrielle. "Just like yesterday. Or is it tomorrow? Anyway, I told them to get it over with. But they left. The Statue of Liberty, most of the angels on the roof, left. There was just one left. One little angel, looking heartbroken, standing there with her manual typewriter."

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand and said, "You, Gabrielle. It was you. You sent me back. And you were the first one I met when I got here. That tells me you're important. That's the way this works, you see. You have the power to change it. We just needed a few more seconds. If someone had been there at the stop of the stairs, slowing the angels down, Amy and I would have had time to jump. That's all it takes, one person at the right place at the right time doing the right thing…"

The lights blinked—Gabrielle's signal she wanted to say something. Rory spun his chair around. "Sorry I acted like I didn't know you when we met," he said. "Guess that comes with the territory."

When she stopped typing and coughed, Rory turned his chair around. The first line had been x'ed out as she'd started typing and changed her mind. Then he read, _It's all right, Rory, I don't mind how you acted when we met. Time paradoxes are dangerous, and New York seems to be riddled with them. As to you and Amy, I am so terribly, terribly sorry, but there's nothing to be done. You lived it, so it will happen as you remembered. The Doctor was right. A thousand Tardises couldn't generate enough power to create a paradox like that.

_Rory, I hope you realize you are my friend. I care about you a great deal. It hurts me to see you torture yourself like this. I am so very sorry, and I am sorry that I have to be cruel. But what you say is impossible._

Rory rose out of his chair in anger. "Don't you tell me what's impossible!" he sputtered. "I've traveled the universe in a London Police box that's bigger on the inside. I watched the universe blow up and get rebooted. I spent 2000 years guarding a huge box with my wife in it. Hell, I'm talking to someone made of stone! So don't tell me what's impossible. For all we know this is an alternate timeline and-"

The lights went out. When they came back up, two stern-faced angels were standing in the door.

"I know, I know, lights out," Rory said. He turned back to Gabrielle. "Think about what I said."

After Rory and the other angels had gone, Gabrielle puttered around her office, angry and upset. Then she left, willing the lights to blink when she passed another angel in the hall, and went to the icon room. She knelt before it, touched it. ((Your Divinity, I humbly request an audience so I can present a petition.))

She waited, and then heard the answer, ((Approach.))

Her inward vision brought her to the mindspace, this time in a throne room with classical Greek architecture. Gabrielle found herself at the door, Michelle on a throne on a dais at the other end.

Gabrielle rushed to the dais and knelt at the base of its steps. "Your Divinity. Thank you for seeing me."

Michelle was smiling, but it was a cold, forced smile. "Gabrielle, this is most unusual."

"The circumstances are most unusual. I would not be here if it was not important."

"Indeed. Very well. Present your petition."

"Rory Williams, one of my charges. Perhaps you have heard him."

Michelle rolled her eyes. "Every choir in the Host has heard of him! Gabrielle and her pet human, Rory. It's part of the reason Winter Quay has been a hard sell. Anyway, continue."

"Rory told me the circumstances of his being sent back. It's going to happen later this year, April I think. During the melee, Rory's wife will fall off the roof and die on the street. It sounds like an accident, but it is still our responsibility. So I…request that when the time comes, Rory's present self and his wife be given a proper burial in accordance with human traditions."

Michelle rose to her feet and went down the steps to loom over the other angel. "Are you mad!? We've already disposed of dozens of humans in the basement crematorium. Why should Mr. Williams be any different? Apart from the obvious."

"With all due respect, we usually cremate the bodies because they have friends and family still outside Winter Quay; we have to dispose of the evidence so no one can find them. Rory's situation is different because his family will be here and we will decimate them while he watches. We will be responsible and we must make amends, even if there is no one alive to see it. That is a matter of honor for the Host."

"I see. And why must you be his advocate?"

"Someone has to."

"Even if you are a laughingstock in the Host?"

"I don't care about such things, Your Divinity."

"I can see that." Michelle pondered. "Well, on the one hand, this is clearly a matter of favoritism on your part," she said as she returned to her throne. "Don't insult my intelligence by denying it. This project has enough of a credibility problem as it is, and this will only make it worse. On the other hand, you raised an important issue about human families that I had not considered. And there is something to be gained by demonstrating our beneficence." She paused. "We will consider your petition. You may go."

8

8

Rory wasn't in a talkative mood for a few days. So she let the situation lie while she waited for word on the petition and asked some of the angels who hadn't given her too hard a time if they knew anything about the Doctor and River. ((They are time travelers,)) she pointed out, ((so he could still be in the past even though it's his personal future.)) Then Gabrielle received word that Michelle had accepted her petition and that after Rory died, arrangements would be made to bury him and Amy together. Information about the Doctor appeared at almost the same time.

Gabrielle waited two more days to tell Rory. After he finished dinner one night, she blinked the lights. He nodded. She went to her typewriter and wrote, _Rory, I have some good news. When you die, arrangements will be made to bury you and Amy together. I know it's not what you want but it is the best I can do._

He read it, looked at her, and finally nodded. "All right."

_I also made some inquiries about the Doctor. It's hard to make sense of, because of time paradoxes and all, but it looks like he'll retroactively arrange to facilitate his escape from wherever we send him to. It's hard to pick up the trail, but some of the girls think he was spotted in Victorian London. So that is some good news at least._

Rory looked at the angel who was smiling hesitantly. "Well…if that's your best…" He grinned, but his eyes held disappointment. "Thanks. Now if you don't mind, I'm tired. I'd like to go to bed."

_All right, Rory. I'll clean up. Good night._

8

8

As the humans went to sleep, Gabrielle went to the laundry room to stock up on clean linens and bedsheets. She usually worked there alone, so the lights were on all the time and she didn't expect to be frozen.

So she was surprised when the lights went down and Lucielle appeared in front of her.

((Gabrielle, we have to talk.))

The lights went down, a hand touched hers, and Gabrielle found herself in their quantum mindspace, facing an angry Lucielle.

Lucille pushed Gabrielle back against a crystal spire. "Gabrielle, have you gone mad?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean, what am I talking about? Making a big deal about burying your favorite ape, that's what! Are you trying to ruin this place for us?"

"I'm trying to do the decent thing!"

"You've become too involved with them."

"How can you not become involved at all?"

"I don't recall you getting all weepy when we were hunting, Gabrielle."

"That was different, Lucielle. That was an exchange. We take their tomorrows from them, and repay them with a life in the past as good as the one they have or better. In exchange for their time energy, we give them a gift. At least that's the way it should be. Remember that kid from the west end?"

"The one who started praying to us when he stumbled on us? That was so easy I almost wanted to throw him back."

"He was saying, 'If you get me out of this, I'll go on the straight and narrow.' He was glad to see us because he thought we'd answered his prayers. I sent him back. And then his grandson-"

"—showed up at the alley to thank us for the life he'd been given. I remember!"

"That was one thing, Lucielle. But this…" Gabrielle trailed off.

"You were the one who was big on coming here, Gabrielle. You said instead of hoping they could get a good life, we could actually provide it."

"That was then, Lucielle. Now, I'm not so sure. And look at Rory. He's had to spend 40 years living among the very beings who for all intents and purposes slaughtered his family while he watched. There's no way he could properly go through the grief. And now that poor man has deluded himself into thinking something impossible will happen. Maybe you can be unaffected by it. I can't. You want to mock me or condemn me for it, fine."

"Look, this place could really turn into something good for us. Rumor has it that one or two of the other archangels are giving this place a second look. They're open to the idea that Winter Quay may not be such a daft idea after all; they're willing to give Michelle a chance to persuade them. And the way I hear it, Michelle has big plans for this place. Really big. This could be the place to be, and we've been here practically since day one! But if things go her way, there's no limit to the opportunities open to us. If we play our cards right, we could even get promoted to Archangel."

"What!? It's been two million years since anyone's been promoted! Just how reliable is your source?"

"Reliable enough for me to think that we may one day hear 'Their Dvinities Gabrielle and Lucielle,' but not if someone make us a laughingstock by going all mother-hen over her apes. Humans breed like crazy and are gone in a hundred years, max. Bunch of walking oil slicks with delusions of grandeur if you ask me. They're ephemeral; apart from the food they give us they don't matter. But we're eternal. The Host is eternal. It matters. And this choir in this place, this could have us set for life as your precious humans say. So the next time you feel like embarrassing yourself over your beloved Rory or whichever one catches your fancy, just remember that he'll be gone soon, but I won't. And I don't want you to ruin this for us. You hear me?"

Gabrielle was taken aback, but wouldn't let herself be intimidated. "Yes, Lucielle. I hear you."


	9. Chapter 9

**April, 1938**

The day Rory died, he completely lost his appetite, only picking at the food Gabrielle brought him. And Gabrielle surprised herself by how she held back her tears when she could move in his presence. She'd started to see the signs in early March. As the date when a human's younger self would be sent back in time approached, paradox energy – unseen and undetected even by the angels at that point – began to build up and slowly compromise the elder version's health, until the elder version died when the two were face-to-face. Gabrielle had become all too familiar with it in recent months, and with Rory, the first human to arrive and her only human friend, she wondered how she could possibly get through it.

His energy level had been failing for weeks, so she'd brought a lap desk with her, so when he was up to it, she would type her messages to him while sitting next to him on the edge of his bed. After she took his last dinner away, she came back to the room and blinked the lights. Lying in bed, Rory opened his eyes and saw the pained look on the angel's face. He nodded, then shut his eyes and let her help him to a sitting position. Then she sat next to him and perched her typewriter on the lap desk.

Rory didn't mince words. "It's going to be tonight, isn't it?" he said and looked away.

The typewriter rattled briefly. No cough, but he glanced back.

Gabrielle had written, _Yes. Just a few hours now. I'm sorry._

"Don't be. I'll see Amy again. Of course, she'll still be young and beautiful, and I'm old and wrinkled. Think she'll stand the sight of me?"

_Of course. You're as handsome as you ever were._

"And you're a rotten liar." He chuckled and blinked. Gabrielle's expression changed to a sad smile. "And I have to apologize in advance," he said. "If I jump off the roof this time, this place blows up and you go too. Sorry about that."

_It's quite all right, Rory. I understand._

They sat there.

"Not very talkative tonight."

_I don't know what to say. I can't find the words._

"Then I'll say something." He put his hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. "You've been a good friend all these years. Without your company, I might have gone mad. And I figure the other angels have given you crap for that, but you stuck to your guns. I respect you for that. So thank you. For everything."

_You are very welcome. And thank you for showing me friendship and kindness when you had no cause to. I have enjoyed your company and I will miss you._

Rory heaved himself off the bed. Although a little rocky on his feet, he managed to stand up. "We started this with a hug. That's how we should say goodbye." He spread his arms and closed his eyes.

Gabrielle put her writing supplies aside, stood, and hugged Rory back. She didn't try to stop the tears as they shook out of her. Then his body sagged. "Going to need a little help here." He kept his eyes shut as she helped into bed and pulled the blankets over him. She hesitated, dimmed the lights to be safe, then leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she collected her typewriter and writing desk and turned to leave.

"One person," Rory rasped. "One person in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. That's all it takes."

Gabrielle lowered the lights and didn't look back as she left.

8

8

Gabrielle did busywork in her office. She checked and double-checked the typewriter, putting in a clean sheet of paper and a new ribbon.

The lights blinked as Lucielle entered the office. ((Rory's younger self went up just a few minutes ago. And just now a man and a woman arrived by car. They had some kind of tracking device-))

((That would be the Doctor and River.))

((They just went up.))

The Statue of Liberty's titanic footsteps shook the room.

Lucielle had trouble containing her excitement. ((Not long now.))

((I'm glad someone's happy.))

((Oh, stop! Are you really going to get all blubbery during the hunt?))

((It's not a hunt. This is a massacre.))

((Oh, please. And are you really going to lug that stupid thing to the roof?)) Lucielle meant the typewriter.

((Rory said I brought it,)) Gabrielle said, ((so I have to, and I want to. I want it to be different with him. He deserves it.))

((Have it your way. Then you get to bury him with his little wifey.))

((That's right. And then I'm out of here.))

((Excuse me?))

((I can't stand this place anymore, Lucielle. It's wrong. That's all there is to it. I won't be part of it anymore. You can stay if you like. But I'm leaving.))

((And what will you do? Go back to Londiniu—er, LONDON?))

((Maybe. Or maybe I'll go to one of the cemeteries around here. Good hunting in Queens, I hear.))

((Well, if you're going to do that, why not perch youself next to Aye-Mee and Roar-ee's grave?))

((I might just-))

Purple lightening crackled in the room and the floor shook.

Lucielle stammered, ((What the – paradox energy? Can't be. It never gets visible.))

((It does feel worse this time,)) Gabrielle said. ((Maybe-))

An angel called from the hall: ((Everybody. Up the stairs. NOW!))

Gabrielle collected her typewriter and brought up the rear as (in between light flashes) the angels raced up the interior spiral staircase. She'd made it to the first landing when an energy bolt flashed down past the steps.

((That sounded like a Sontaran pulse rifle,)) Gabrielle said. Rory hadn't said anything about someone with an energy weapon. ((Who's shooting?))

An angel from farther up the stairs shouted: ((Gabrielle! She's gone insane!))

((Who's gone insane?)) Gabrielle called back. ((Who's-?))

Then the building shook and she felt the electric fire of a time paradox run through her as white light exploded around her and began to swallow her…

…and then…


	10. Chapter 10

**2014**

"…and something hit me," Gabrielle went on, continuing her story, "face-on, like I was being hit by a truck…"

"Excuse me?" the Doctor interrupted. He'd spent Gabrielle's narrative racing around the console room, apparently making something. But obviously, he'd been paying attention. "You say something hit you?"

"Yes," Gabrielle's voice sounded from the room's speakers. "It knocked me out of the vortex, although I lost my typewriter along the way. But it's probably the reason I survived."

"But nothing can fly through a paradox, Gabrielle. It's not like they have regular train service."

"I can only tell you what I experienced, Doctor. If something didn't hit me, then what am I doing here?"

Danny shrugged. "She's got a point."

"All right," the Doctor prompted. "You were being eaten by the paradox when something hit you and…"

8

8

 **1940**

"Statues, you said," Sam Garner said. "Living statues that moved in the dark."

He was standing over Julius Grayle's grave in Calvary Cemetery on a sunny afternoon in early Fall, the sunning shining down on the detective and the ridiculously tall headstone. It was practically a monument. Garner had heard that Grayle had wanted the statue of an angel on it, but the grieving black widow –er, grieving WIDOW had nixed that idea.

"A nothin' case," Garner said. "Chasing down leads you got from dreams. But $25 a day plus expenses for more than a year, until you died of a heart attack…as your grieving young widow said…well, I can't complain. And when Sam Garner takes a case, he sees it through. And I have to admit, every time I was about to give up, there as just enough out there to keep my interest. So even though you're dead and buried, I'm here to report what I've found. I'm going to meet your blushing young bride to tell her, but as you hired me, I'm going to tell you first." He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his inside coat pocket. "I have to give this back when I'm done, but this is one of the things that kept me going. You said you dreamed about a place in Battery Park called Winter Quay, which is pronounced 'Key' for some reason. Well, I found the address. It's an empty lot. But here's where it gets weird. Someone bought that land in 1893. Supposedly a payment in, of all things, Roman gold coins. And there is a deed to that land. This deed, right here. But here's the thing: It's blank. All the lines that should have something on it have nothing on them. The Roman gold coins used to buy the land are in a vault, but no one knows where they came from. And I just learned today that building materials were delivered to the site and workers were hired, but the materials all went poof and the guys who were supposed to build it did other things at the time."

He put the paper back in his pocket. "Along the way I met some obscure historians and found out a lot about someone named 'The Doctor.' He turns up a lot. And other tidbits about angels. But mostly from people who sound like crackpots. But you wanted me to investigate and I investigated. Meantime, the city is trying to figure out who owns that property and whether they can sell it. The Roman coins are going to a museum. And I've been thanked up and down for finding this out, but no reward for it. Oh, well, can't win 'em all. Still, I looked in it. Was there something to it? Who knows? What do you think?" He paused. "Silence. Ok. But wherever you are, you can't say I didn't do my job." He pulled a flask out of a pocket. "Here's to you, Julius Grayle, the scariest crime boss who gave me the weirdest case I've ever heard of. The money was good and, oddly enough, it was fun." He took a swig from the flask, closed it, put it in his pocket, and turned to leave.

He heard an electric crackle behind him. Then a thud accompanied by an "Oof!"

"Hello?" Garner followed the noise to the far side of Grayle's headstone. A statue of an angle was lying on its back, face up, behind Grayle's grave. It hadn't been there before.

"Hey, sweetheart, where did you come from?" He blinked and in that instant, the angel's head had turned to face him.

"HOLY-!" Garner jumped back and lost his footing. He started to fall backwards and his eyes left the angle for a second. Then the angel's face was over him, smiling but looking a little dazed. She'd caught him and was cradling him in her arms.

"Thanks," he said. "Can you, uh, let me up? Maybe if I close my eyes." He closed his eyes, and he felt hands help him to his feet. He opened his eyes and found himself standing, facing the angel. She was smiling but she still had the dazed look. The way she held herself she was a little unsteady on her feet.

"You must be one of Grayle's moving statues," he said. "So there was something to something to write with it after all. Son of a Samuel pen and paper please gun." He frowned. "Did I just say something to write with? Was that yes it was me you? ... Ok, guess so. Don't know why you need this, but here you go." He fished a notepad and pen out of a pocket. Not sure what to do, he put them at the angel's feet and turned away. He heard the pen scratching. "If you're writing a novel, I get paid by the hour for proofreading." The pen stopped and heard a cough. He turned and the angel was holding the pad in her outstretched hands.

He took the pad; the writing was perfect cursive penmanship. He read: _Forgive me, Samuel, but I had no other way to ask. I am Gabrielle. We were at Winter Quay. I took care of you for 38 year. Do you remember me at all? What year is this? Have you seen my typewriter?_

He looked at her. "Pleased to meet you. Uh, apology accepted. I've never seen you before in my life. Winter Quay is an empty lot. It's 1940. And no, no typewriter. What happened?"

He turned way. More writing and another cough. And:

_It would take too long to explain. A brave soul who was my dearest friend did the impossible, and now, you and all the others are free. And I shall honor his memory. I shall never feed on a human's time energy again. Even though it means I will starve to death after a few hundred years. But it is the least I can do._

"Well, I'm not too sure about-"

"Mr. Garner?" a woman's voice called.

Garner peaked around the headstone and saw a twenty-something bombshell in a white dress and broad-brimmed hat bustling between the headstones with a heavyset bodyguard behind her, coming his way.

Garner turned back to Gabrielle. "Holy crap! That's Grayle's widow." He found he felt relaxed around Gabrielle, even liked her, though he wasn't sure why. But he also started to feel worried about her. "She's no fan of angels. She either auctioned off or burned all the stuff he had about them. You'd better make yourself scarce. I'll cover you."

Garner raced over to the Widow Grayle and loomed over her, hoping he blocked her view of the headstone. "Mrs. Grayle. How nice of you to come."

"Your call said you had some news about my husband's-" She broke off and looked past Garner. "Wait, what's that?"

Garner turned. There was the statue of an angel on top of Grayle's headstone. Even though it hadn't been there before, it didn't look like Gabrielle. It had long flowing hair and seemed to depict an angel in armor. But somehow, he knew it was her.

Mrs. Grayle went over to the statue, Garner and her bodyguard a pace behind. "Where did this come from? I don't remember it being here. I thought I told them I didn't want it."

Garner said, "Maybe you just didn't notice it in your grief."

"No, I would have known. He knew I hated that angel stuff." She turned to her bodyguard. "Get rid of that-"

"Actually, why don't you leave it?" Garner said. "You can say it's a testament to your love for your husband, by honoring his life's work. It'd make you look good, the devoted wife."

"Yeah, it would, wouldn't it? All right. It stays. Now, about my dear departed husband's angel case?"

"I got nothin' for ya, Mrs. Grayle. Every lead turned out to be a dead end and everyone I talked to turned out to be a crackpot. So whoever sold your husband on the idea of moving statues took him for a ride."

"Too bad. At least he wasn't alive to hear that. Stop by the house tomorrow. I'll have your last check." She smiled. "But I may have some other jobs for you. Tomorrow at 9?"

"Sure thing, Mrs. G."

"See you tomorrow. And call me Rachel."

Garner watched Mrs. Grayle and her bodyguard head back to her car. He turned back to Gabrielle and winked. He said, "And if I ever come across any typewriters that popped up out of nowhere, you'll be the first one I call."


	11. Chapter 11

**1994**

"Excuse me," Amy said, "but are you a weeping angel?"

Dressed in a turtle-neck shirt and slacks, she had her long, gray hair in a pony tail as she looked up on the statue of an angel on the grave of one Julius Grayle. It was a sunny day in Early September. Amy wasn't as spry as she'd once been, and she knew she would pay for today's trek into the cemetery with a long nap. But there were things to be taken care of, so she'd grabbed the IBM Thinkpad laptop, put it in a small satchel, and headed for the cemetery.

"My husband and I figured you were," Amy said. "But even though our grave is over there-" she pointed "—so you can't send us back AGAIN – we thought it was safest if we waited until one of us was gone. Then the other would be too old to provide with a good meal. Hope you don't mind." She looked around. "There's no one else around, and I doubt anyone on the highway is looking this way. So if you could change to your regular form? I need to see your face. I need to know that I'm talking to the right one. Otherwise, I'll be on my way."

She closed her eyes. When she opened them, the angel had its regular form, and it was crouching on the head stone, smiling with a warm, friendly look on her face.

"Yeah," Amy said. "Oh, yeah. I never forget a face. You're the right one." She went around the side of the headstone. "I'm Amy. Pleased to meet you. Mind if I sit down?"

She sat down against the side of the head stone and heard something drop down in to the side of her. Then creaking noises and a grunt. She peaked around the corner. The angel was standing there with its hands in its back, arching its back.

Amy giggled. "Yeah, I guess standing in one spot like that would cause a backache, even if you are living stone." She turned back to her bag and got out the laptop. She heard more noises and peaked again. The angel was sitting on the ground on the front of the headstone, turning Amy's way and smiling.

"Nice to meet a friendly angel," Amy said as she started the laptop. "That lot on the *Byzantium*" … She shuddered. "Don't know if it's anyone you know; it was in the 51st century anyway. But you seem to be ok. That's good. Anyway my son has a friend whose son went to MIT, and set this up. Had to hem and haw about why I wanted it, but they don't need to think I'm totally crazy. And it's working! Great. It's a voice synthesis program. You type something in…hello…my…name…is…Amy… and hit return, and…"

An emotionless electronic voice came out of the laptop: "Hello, my name is Amy."

"See?" Amy said. "So we can have a conversation. You try it."

She looked away and felt the laptop be taken off her lap. Then after a moment, the keys rattled. "Damn," Amy said. "You are one fast typist."

The keys stopped and the electronic voice said, "Thank you Amy. This is wonderful. I enjoy conversing with humans. I am called Gabrielle. And you needn't have worried. I have sworn that I will never again feed on a human's time energy."

"Then how will you stay alive?"

"I won't."

"Oh, I…I don't know what to say. But you have a problem. See you're going to feed one more time. That's where I know you from. You sent me and my husband from 2012 back to 1938."

There was a long pause. Keys rattled, and Amy heard, "Excuse me, but what did you say your name was?"

"Amy. Amy Williams. And my husband was Rory Williams. We were at Winter Quay. We jumped off the roof. We created a paradox that blew the place up and sent us back to 2012. Right over there, as a matter of fact. But then an angel sent us back to 1938. You. That's why I have to talk to you. You have to take care of something for me."

Though the electronic voice was flat, Amy swore she could hear anguish in it: "No! Do you realize what you've done? You and Rory were free, and I was never going to feed again. But you've doomed us both. You told me I'm going to do it, so I have no choice now. I'm a monster. I am evil. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore, but I can't help it." Amy heard sobbing.

"Hey," Amy said. "Listen to me. Let me tell you what happened. I was looking right at you. The image of an angel is an angel, right? So you got in my head. And as the Doctor was pleading with me to get in the Tardis, there was a voice in my head telling me it would be all right, that I would be with Rory. That was you, wasn't it? And I felt so much love and compassion, as if I was being hugged from the inside. You sent me to Rory because it was the right thing to do. And we've had a good life. Some ups, some downs, and one or two surprises, and a trip upstate that was the absolute best. So don't say you're evil. I've met evil. It ain't you. All right?"

A sniffle and then the computer voice: "All right. Thank you. What do I have to do for you?"

"You'll see the Doctor again after that, and when you do, you'll have to thank him for the money…"

8

8

 **2014**

"What money?" the Doctor interrupted.

"I'm sorry," Gabrielle said. "I assumed you took care of it when you left with—that was River, right?"

"Yes. But I haven't done it yet, so you might as well tell me."

8

8

 **1994**

"…when Rory and I arrived in front of this Salvation Army mission, there was this lizard lady and this little old English woman waiting for us. Madame Vastra, she said her name was. And Jenny. Nice people. She said the Doctor had given her some gold and they'd sold it to get us some cash. Didn't go into too many details except to say something about how the Doctor had adopted some of humanity's less desirable traits. Whatever she meant by that." She held a slip of paper over her shoulder. "Time, place, date, and how much we got. Commit it to memory."

The paper got snatched out of her hand. "All right, Amy. I can do that. And while I am sorry I will have to do that, I knew Rory…an alternate version of Rory. I took care of him at Winter Quay. I knew he loved you and missed you very much. So…I will be happy to keep you united."

"That's the spirit! Don't beat yourself up so much."

"I'll try. Anything else? Will you want a berth in the sleeper car for your trip to 1938?"

Amy laughed. "Sleeper car? Oh my, girl! You've been here for too long. Those big airplanes that go overhead all the time? That's how people get around now."

"As long as it's better than being in the cargo hold of a steamship. That's how I got here from Londinium. Not the most comfortable experience."

"Londinium…that's the Roman name. You know they-"

"Hey!"

Amy turned in the direction of the voice. A man in coveralls from the cemetery was coming up from behind the headstone, so he couldn't see Gabrielle.

Amy got to her feet. "Yeah? Is there a problem?"

"What happened to the statue?"

"Statue?" Amy hustled over to the man and tried to keep his attention on her.

"The statue on the Grayle grave. It's missing. Did you see what happened?"

"Are you sure you're thinking about the right one?" She grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Gabrielle, getting their backs to the Grayle headstone. "There are some statues over there-"

He pulled his arm free. "No, I mean that one, and the statue is-" He broke off. Gabrielle was back on top the headstone in her long-haired angel form.

"Well, there's a statue there now," Amy said. "Maybe the light hit it wrong?"

The man looked at her. "You a friend of the family?"

"Something like that."

"I'll have to call Mrs. Grayle-"

"Ah, no. I have to be going."

Amy hurried away from the man. She collected the laptop and the slip of paper. She looked to make sure the man was heading back the way he came. Then she smiled up at Gabrielle. "Hey. It'll be all right. Nice meeting you. Goodbye."


	12. Chapter 12

**2014**

"…and I didn't see Amy again until the day I sent her and Rory back," Gabrielle said. "After that, I vowed nothing would make send a human back again."

Martha said, "Until those kids knocked over their headstone."

"I lost my temper," Gabrielle said. "Rory was my friend and Amy was kind to me. How dare these punks despoil their resting place? I decided to teach them a lesson. And the rest, to coin a phrase, is history."

"Yes," the Doctor said. "So all we need now is for me to get to Madame Vastra and arrange the money for Amy and Rory." He touched a switch on the console. "You won't need the Tardis' telepathic circuits now," he said as he put a neckless around Gabrielle's neck. "Pretty much the same thing with a perceptual filter so people think you're talking. And a little Heisenberg compensator so you'll have trouble perceiving us as alive." He pointed the screwdriver at the necklace. "That way, you should be able to move while we're looking at you."

Patches of flesh tones appeared on Gabrielle's body. They spread and they were facing a dark-haired young woman in a greed dress with dark wings.

Clara said, "Wow. Some perceptual filter."

"That's not me," the Doctor said. "This must be what she looks like when she's not being looked at."

Gabrielle was studying herself in a monitor's reflection. She smiled. "I was hoping this is what my flesh form looked like but of course, there's no way to check. Thank you, Doctor."

Danny said, "Right. Well, that's all well and good. But we might as well cut to the chase: Which one of us is going back to Winter Quay in 1938 and holding the door against the onslaught of angels?"

The Doctor turned to Danny. "No one."

"Oh, come on, Doc!" Danny said. "You think I don't know how this goes? Who gets to make the heroic sacrifice? Come on, sahr! Volunteer someone."

Martha warned, "Mr. Pink-"

Danny turned to her. "It's time you lot woke up and saw what he really is." Back to the Doctor. "Well?"

"In the first place, no one is going," the Doctor said. "Not only do I not want one of you to go, the journey is impossible for several reasons."

"Name them," Danny challenged.

"All right," the Doctor said. "I didn't hear anything when I was on the roof, so we'd need a Sontaran pulse rifle with a directional silencer, and I don't have one."

Danny frowned. "What's a directional silencer?"

"It directs almost all the sound at the target," the Doctor explained, "so no one to the side or behind would hear it, especially if you're not paying attention, and I wasn't."

"Call that a silencer, Doctor?"

"The Sontarans do, P. E. They have a slight problem with subtlety."

Clara nodded. "And how. Five minutes with Strax and you will understand."

The Doctor went on: "In the second place, Winter Quay is in a timeline that no longer exists. So it is impossible to get to. And even then, landing the Tardis in 1938 would destroy New York. So it's doubly impossible."

"So you say," Danny said.

"Yes, so I say," the Doctor said. "Or do you know someone else who knows time travel as much as I do?"

"Precisely my point. No one can gainsay you, so you can say whatever you want. You say you can't get the Williamses back. I say that's a load of bollocks."

"Excuse me?" the Doctor growled.

"Bollocks," Danny shot back. "You mean you, the great Time Lord, couldn't have figured out a way to rescue them? Of course you could have! But you didn't. They weren't stuck in the past because Gabrielle sent them there. They were stuck in the past because you *deliberately* left them there to die!"

"Mr. Pink!" Martha shouted.

"Danny!" Clara said.

The Doctor waved the girls off. "Danny, it broke my hearts to leave Amy and Rory behind. If I could have saved them, I would have."

Danny clapped his hand. "Well done, sahr! Magnificent performance. But still a load of bollocks. In fact, I don't believe you when say you can't go to 1938. We were just there. So it was bit bumpy. No problem."

"We went *past* 1938, Danny. We stayed in the time vortex; we didn't try to land."

"Bollocks."

Martha said, "All right, you two, that's-"

The Doctor began angrily setting controls. "All right! You don't believe me? Fine. Let's go for it! April 3, 1938. Nine AM local time."

"Helps to be punctual," Danny said.

"And let's aim for Time's Square!" the Doctor said.

"Always wanted to see it. Do I have my camera?"

The Doctor came back to the main control lever. "You won't see it Danny. New York will blow up. Might take us with it."

"Always wanted to go out with a bang!"

"Or maybe Earth will go, too! You may never have existed!"

"Great! Won't have to visit Clara's parents again!"

"I mean it, Danny! I pull this lever, we get a front row seat at a mushroom cloud."

"I'll bring marshmallows. Come one, Doctor, let's do it! Go for the gusto. You say we'lll blow up? Put your money where your mouth is."

The Doctor's hand gripped the lever but he couldn't pull it.

"You can't do it," Danny said. He turned to Martha, Clara, and the other UNIT troops. "This is what he really is." Back to the Doctor. "You're all talk. You're great at getting people to lay down their lives for you. But you will never do it yourself. You don't have the guts to put your life on the line when it counts."

"YOU WANT TO SEE GUTS?" the Doctor shouted. "I'LL SHOW YOU GUTS!" He slammed the lever over hard. The time column groaned to life.

Clara's eyes widened. "Doctor you didn't…I mean tell me you weren't going to…"

Alarms started going off.

Martha said, "Oh…my…"

The Doctor looked at the time column. "Oh, crap."

Danny said, "You didn't-"

Sparks flew from the console, the room shook, the lights blinked, as alarms went off and red warning lights Clara had never noticed before started blinking. Everyone found a railing and held on for dear life. Then a voice said from the speakers, "Collision alarm, collision alarm…"

A 'WHAM!' shook the Tardis.

"We've hit something!" the Doctor said. "Damage looks superficial." He punched buttons. "Canceling coordinates. She's pulling out of it…there's a good girl….stand by for emergency landing…."

The Tardis thudded to a stop.

The Doctor checked the console. "Well, we haven't gone far in space. We're on Fire Island, still in the New York City area. October 6, 1957. Sputnik's been launched. Bit chilly for a dip in the ocean."

Martha opened the doors, then pointed at the Doctor and Danny. "You two. Now!"

Danny and the Doctor followed Martha; Gabrielle trailed behind them.

Martha paced back and forth on the beach. It was a chilly day, but Martha didn't notice the waves crashing near her. "Of all the stupid, stupid…I don't believe this! All right, Pink, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. But you, Doctor, how could you do something so reckless? You're hundreds—thousands—of years old, and yet there are times you act like a-"

"Oh, boys?" Clara called from behind them. She was standing by the Tardis and smiling sweetly. "Boys? You should see this. You too, Gabrielle."

The Doctor, Danny, Martha and Gabrielle followed Clara around the side of the Tardis. There, they found the side of it depressed with a human-shaped dent. And in the middle of the dent – about waste-height—were the twisted and crushed remains of a manual typewriter.

Clara said, "Well, then, I guess we know where that got to. And we know who's ultimately responsible for Amy and Rory getting stuck in the past."

Martha said, quietly at first, "You two don't like each other. I get it. You have issues. Fine. You want to beat the snot out of each other when this job is over. Be my guest. But because I'm rather fond of the idea of living in the time and place I'm used to, I think I speak for all concerned when I say it would be very much appreciated if you two would KEEP THEM IN YOUR PANTS UNTIL WE GET HOME!" She stalked back into the Tardis. Clara followed her.

Gabrielle rubbed he Doctor's shoulder. "It was getting old. I'd been meaning to replace it. And you did save my life…" she trailed off then followed Clara and Martha.

The Doctor and Danny were left looking at the dent.

What was left of the typewriter fell out of the dent, onto the sand.

Danny said, "I just insulted Clara's parents. Probably not a good idea."

"I shouldn't think so, no," the Doctor said.

"One of the guys I served with is into woodworking, antique restoration. He could have a look at it."

"Actually, strictly speaking, that's not wood. The Tardis will fix itself on the way back. But thanks for the offer."

"No problem…So, Doctor, Madame Vastra's next?"

"Victorian London, Danny. Hop, skip, and a jump."

"Need us along?"

"No, but the team could probably use a bathroom break and some tea. Jenny's is actually very good."

"That sounds like a good idea."


	13. Chapter 13

The visit at Madame Vastra's was noteworthy for only a few things. Madame Vastra came out of a private meeting with the Doctor, Danny, and Gabrielle being visibly disappointed and the Time Lord equally chastened. And Danny found a kindred spirit in Strax. He seemed to be having so much fun agreeing with Strax about a grunt's lot and how some officers were nincompoops that Clara had to yell at him three times before he returned to the Tardis.

Martha closed the doors. "Right. All present and accounted for. Doctor?"

The Doctor programmed the controls. "UNIT HQ, fifteen minutes after we left."

Martha said, "We hope."

"Getting' there is half the fun," Clara added.

Danny frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Ignore them," the Doctor said. "Here we go."

He hauled over the drive lever. The time column groaned to life…and then the deck rattled slightly. Then the rattling stopped and the ride smoothed out.

Danny said, "Does this happen often?"

"Doesn't happen at all usually," the Doctor said. "Vortex seems to be a little choppy today. It happens. And here we are."

Kate came aboard as soon as the doors opened. "Doctor? Will you please tell me what's going on?"

"Had to make a slight detour," the Doctor said. "You wanted to meet the angel? Well, here she is. Gabrielle, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. Kate, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle smiled. "Hello."

"Hello," Kate said. "Didn't think I'd be able to talk to you. Nice for once to meet an alien who-" Kate broke off, then slowly turned to face the Doctor. "Oh, I get it. She's the 'dangerous female alien,' isn't she?"

"Well, weeping angels are dangerous," the Doctor started, "but I can assure you that Gabrielle—wait, what did you say?"

"You didn't think I'd figure it out?" Kate said. She turned to the rest of the team. "Before my father died, he told me how a future version of the Doctor who spoke with a Scottish accent appeared at UNIT HQ having just come from…" she cleared her throat "…an 'encounter' with a 'dangerous female alien' in a New York City graveyard. This Doctor swore my father to secrecy, but he told me because he figured it was a point of honor for our family to figure out what was going on, especially as this Doctor seemed to have been holding something in his arms before he appeared. Or someone."

"It was me," Gabrielle admitted. "I was overjoyed that the Doctor forgave me and I hugged him. No problem."

Clara's eyes widened. "You hugged him? And he hugged you back? I can barely get a pat on the back out of him. Why do you rate? He didn't even know your name!"

"It's the wings," Martha said acidly. "Has to be."

"Probably," Clara said. "Danny? I'll meet you back home." Clara stomped out of the Tardis.

Kate said, "All right, Doctor, if you'll just turn Gabrielle over to us for questioning and-"

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, "what? I've taken Gabrielle on as a companion. You don't 'question' one of my companions without a damn good reason."

"Doctor, we discussed this!"

"You'll have to remind me of the part when you can just take someone off my Tardis without a by-your-leave."

"Doctor…right. Have it your way. Just leave the space/time telegraph on, won't you?"

"Of course."

Kate turned to the remaining UNIT troops. "Dismissed."

After everyone else had left, the Doctor closed the doors, set the Tardis in motion, and leaned heavily on the console.

"I'm sorry," Gabrielle said. "I seem to have created problems between you and your friends. I didn't mean to do that."

"What did you mean to do?" the Doctor asked.

"Sorry?"

"A couple of uncomfortable loose ends. One is that I blew up Winter Quay and killed off everyone you knew there. And now, here you are."

"You think I wanted to get close to you so I could have revenge?"

"You tell me. And if you're going to take a shot at me, now's the time, when you can't hurt anyone else."

"No. If pressed, I could say I upheld the honor of the Host by sending Amy and Rory back, but I'm not angry at you for what you did. Maybe I should be angry, but I'm not. I suppose you could say I've always been the odd angel out, Doctor. Always sympathetic to my prey. Always wanting to see more of the world around me, not just pick one spot and stay there. Other than Lucielle, I didn't really feel close to anyone at Winter Quay; and Lucielle and I were…having our differences at the end. I'm sad about what happened, but not angry. You and Rory did what you had to do. I don't blame you anymore than you blame me."

"Fair enough. I had to ask."

"Understandable. You have to be cautious. All I can ask is for you to give me chance to let me earn your trust."

"All right."

"What's the other loose end, Doctor?"

"That sooner or later, Gabrielle, someone is going to have to go back to Winter Quay in 1938 and hold that door against the angels."

"And whoever does that may not come back."

"Which means I may lose someone else I care about to that place. Not a pleasant thought."

"I know." She smiled. "But it hasn't happened yet! So enjoy the time you have."

The Doctor smiled and nodded. "So you say you like to travel?" he asked.

"I did as much as I could," Gabrielle said. "Not easy, being unable to speak their language and turning to stone when they look at you. Makes trying to hitch a ride very difficult. But I managed."

"And that's one reason you're the odd angel out?"

"My people are content to stay in one spot and let the world come to them. For all the terror we inflict, they have as much sense of adventure as door mice."

The Doctor pointed out the doors. "Outside those doors, all of time and space. Anytime, anywhere."

Gabrielle giggled. "I know. The whole universe to choose from, not just one planet. I can't believe I have this chance."

"Where would you like to go first?"

"Ooh, I don't know. You decide! I'm happy to go wherever."

The Doctor began programming controls. "Well, there is one planet I keep trying to get to but never quite make it. Why don't we try again, eh?"

"Let's! What's this planet called?"

"Barcelona!"


	14. Chapter 14

When Danny had learned the Doctor was a Time Lord, he'd reassured himself that it couldn't get any weirder.

Eating dinner with Clara while she groused about Gabrielle, part of Danny's mind marveled at how she blinded herself to the Doctor's true nature, while another part of his brain thought, 'Your girlfriend is jealous of a living statue who's riding shotgun with the Doctor. That's insane.'

"Has to be the wings, hasn't it?" Clara complained. "I've seen them catalogs. Men have a thing for women with wings, don't they? All big and flappin' a little every time she moves."

"I'm not surprised," Danny said, doing his best to be reasonable. "You didn't think he'd just toss you aside one day?"

"What!? In favor of her? After all we've been through? I'm his impossible girl, he called me. What's she?"

"His angel?"

"Yeah, his wide-eyed wing-flappin' angel. Yeah, those big doe-eyes of hers. That's what did it. I've seen weepin' angels. Yeah? On Trenzalore. Comin' out of the snow they were. And the Doctor and me were *both* scared. He doesn't like 'em. Daleks, no problem. But Angels? Only thing I've seen that gives him the willies. And yet she's alone with him in the cemetery for five mintues – I checked the Tardis flight logs, and that's how long it was—and all of a sudden they're thick as thieves."

Danny decided on a different tack. "Oh, aye," he said sympathetically in an effeminate voice, "you think you know a Time Lord, but the first time-bending stone angel that waggles her wings at him and off he goes. It's the same old story, love." Then he read the look on Clara's face. "What?"

8

8

Fortunately, the Doctor had returned the Tardis to the basement at the school. Danny shifted the blankets and pillows to one arm and knocked.

Gabrielle answered the door. Her look had changed since he'd met her: She was letting her dark hair fall around her shoulders and had a white, sleeveless top and black pants on, the top's straps allowing enough room for her wings.

Danny said, "Sorry, but have I come at a bad time?"

"No," Gabrielle said. "You're most welcome." She got out of his way and let him in, and added, "The Doctor and I were just trading stories about Leonardo da Vinci."

"You knew him?" Danny said. "Of course you knew him."

"Well," Gabrielle said, "I was more of a tenant really. I spent several years in the corner of his workshop. Little bit of a food coma, I suppose you could say, so I just stood there and watched. And there was something about the renaissance, wasn't there? You could feel humanity waking up. I didn't want to mess with it. I just wanted to enjoy it." She pointed at the Doctor. "And he was there, in and out with different faces. Small universe, eh? We were just talking about the time he was tortured."

"Tortured?" Danny asked.

"Thumb screws," the Doctor said. "Very unpleasant. Although I wasn't actually tortured. I can't stand being tortured by someone with sweaty hands."

Gabrielle asked, "And that Captain Tancredi, he was really the last of the Jagaroth?"

"Yep," the Doctor said. "I was about to say their ship blew up trying to take off on warp drive." He turned to Danny. "Provided the spark of radiation that started life on this planet and lead to you, Danny."

"I always wondered what happened to them," Gabrielle said. "Explains that temporal anomaly near Bermuda. Still, vicious, callous war-like race. Can't say I miss 'em. And their timelines – eeeyuuuuhhhh! We used to say, you want to put an angel on a starvation diet? Put her on a planet full of Jagaroth." She turned to Danny. "But I'm sorry! We must be terrible hosts." She noticed the blankets and pillows. "Is everything all right? Did Clara kick you out?"

Danny smiled somehow. "No everything's fine. Some place I can sleep the night?"

The Doctor pointed at the hatch. "Leela's old room is closest. I made it a permanent part of the architecture. Out that door, to the right. Can't miss it. Mind the land mines."

"Land mines?" Danny asked.

"Everywhere we went, she picked up a weapon," the Doctor lamented. "Bad habit. Couldn't get her out of it. But at least she never got the knack of making gunpowder. She would have blown us up. By accident of course."

8

8

Probably as a peace offering to Danny – with Clara's influence behind it, Danny thought – the Doctor arranged a field trip for their English and Math students to UNIT's original HQ. He gave the kids some rides in Bessie, his old yellow roadster; and in the garage, did some simple lessons in science and chemistry. Danny was impressed with the Doctor's teaching ability and gave him credit on that. Then they went out to the parade ground. It had rained and the ground was a bit damp. Gabrielle swore them to secrecy and told them they were going to look what it was like to be her.

"What," a boy said, "drop dead gorgeous?" The other kids laughed, and a girl swatted him on the head.

"No. But thank you. I meant this." She touched her necklace and her body turned to stone. Her voice came out of the necklace: "Quantum locked. I can't move while you're looking at me. Which means someone has to turn the Heisneberg compensator back on."

The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the necklace and she was flesh and blood again.

"Thank you," Gabrielle said. "My people have learned to live with that, and quite honestly, if it's someone other than me, you never want to see it. But it takes practice to move when you can turn to stone when someone sees you. You'll see what I mean." She pointed. "You're all going to line up over there. And you're going to run back here quick as you can. Here's the catch. You start when I shout 'Closed!' And when I say 'Open,' you have to stop right where you are, in mid-step, and stay like that until I say 'Closed' again. Which means no big running; you're in trouble if you're caught with one foot in the air. Any questions?"

A boy raised his hand. "What if it's both feet?"

"Then you are a very new angel who will get a headache thinking about it," Gabrielle said, "and I won't say anymore to anyone who wasn't on Gallifrey during the Time War."

Clara perked up. "I was!"

"Oh," Gabrielle said. "It's a long story. Anything else?"

No one else had any question, so everyone but Gabrielle lined up at the other end of the parade ground. The ground was damp and slightly muddy, so there was a lot of laughing and stumbling at Gabrielle's shouts of "Open!" At one point she pointed to a girl who was trying to clamber to her feet. "No! Don't finish getting up. You're stone…Closed!"

The Doctor and Danny got the muddiest of all.

It all seemed like great fun…until Gabrielle turned away from Clara for a moment. "Angel attack-" Clara started as she grabbed for Gabrielle's shoulder. Then Clara disappeared.

"Oops!" Gabrielle said. "Reflex. But I think she's all right…"

A Tardis materialized next to the parade ground. Clara got out with another Doctor and another Gabrielle.

The new Doctor said, "April 24, 1984, 2:15 Pm, Piccadilly Circus, the cop will be all right. UNIT will get his medical expenses."

"Right," the first Doctor said. He turned to his Gabrielle. "We'll have to go back to the school."

The first Doctor and the first Gabrielle got in Bessy and drove away.

The remaining Gabrielle turned to Clara. "No hard feelings?"

"Hard feelings?" Clara grumbled. "I have never been so-" She grabbed at Gabrielle and disappeared again.

Gabrielle doubled over, holding her stomach.

The Doctor was alarmed. "What's wrong?"

"I overcooked it," Gabrielle said. "Sent her too far back. Overloaded myself. I'll have to vent to-"

Yet another Tardis appeared, with another Doctor, another Gabrielle, Clara hopping out bound and gagged….

….and a man dressed like Robin Hood!?

One of the boys gawked. "You're not-"

"No, I'm not," the man said in with a smile. "Can't be – I don't exist."

He got in the first Tardis with the other Doctor and Gabrielle. It vanished.

The Doctor and Gabrielle who had just arrived backed into their Tardis. That Doctor said, "Parking it back at the school. Be right back." They got in their Tardis. It vanished…as another Doctor and Gabrielle pulled up in Bessie. They pulled up next to Clara, who was still hopping around. Danny was sure the gag was muffling words not fit for children.

Gabrielle smiled. "And that's a demonstration of time paradoxes."

"What I call Timey Wimey," the Doctor said. He looked past the group. "And were you watching the whole time?"

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart was at the back of the group. "Most of it," she said. "Is this the worst that's happened today?"

"Yes," the Doctor said somberly.

Kate smiled. "Good. Then I can call off the tactical nuclear strike."

Danny slept at the Tardis that night. He wasn't sure why Clara kicked him out, but thought better than to argue.

8

8

Not long after the school trip, Clara took a Tardis trip with the Doctor and Gabrielle. Though Danny normally didn't like it when Clara went off with the Doctor, he made an exception, thinking that might bring peace if the two…females faced common foes with the Doctor.

No such luck. He got the recap over dinner.

Danny just ate and didn't say anything as Clara complained: "…so all we have to do is get past a hundred guards and stop the papal from blowing up half the Empirical Galaxy and who does he turn to first? Her! Not me. Her! How does that happened? I immersed myself in his bloody timeline! Saved him from the Great Intelligence I did. What has she done?" She paused. "Or maybe I'm overreacting. Getting territorial when there's no cause to. What do you think? Come on, Danny. Say something!"

Danny ate the last of his food, wiped his mouth with his napkin, got up, got blankets and pillows out of the closet, and left.

When he got to the Tardis, the Doctor said, "I don't meant to pry, Danny, but if you're going to be staying here a lot, it would be no trouble for me to create a room for you."

"No, it's no trouble. I like sleeping on that fur rug on the floor. By the way, I have a mate interested in antique weapons. Think he could look at those land mines?"

The Doctor winced. "They're Leela's. And while I don't think I'll ever see her again, with time travel being what it is…"

"I understand. Thanks anyway."


	15. Chapter 15

"Don't give me that!" Clara snapped as she, Gabrielle, the Doctor and Danny came through the corridor into the Tardis control room. "You didn't have to grab me like *that.* You were so copping a feel. Does the Doctor know you pitch for both teams?"

"Clara, for the last time, it was an accident," Gabrielle said. "I did not intend to grab your breasts when I caught you. And my relationship with the Doctor is not like that."

"Oh, you're a lezzie and he's your male friend. I get it."

"No, you don't!"

Danny turned to the Doctor. "So, Doctor, why did I agree to come along this time?"

"Change of scene?" the Doctor said. "Giving me the benefit of the doubt? Nothing interesting on the tele?"

"And how is watching my girlfriend fight with your…friend about how Gabby saved Clara's life better than reruns?"

"I was just asking myself the same-"

The console speaker crackled. "Doctor?" Kate's voice said. "Can you read me?"

The Doctor was only too glad to answer (though he hoped it didn't show). "Yes, Kate! How may we help you?"

"There's been an incursion over New York harbor. We've alerted the Americans, though no response yet. Our satellites are having trouble imaging it. Can you get eyes on it?"

The Doctor worked the console. "On our way…here we are. We're partially materialized; they won't see us." He opened the doors. The Tardis hovered above New York harbor with a view of the Manhattan skyline. A huge metal sphere about the diameter of a football field hovered above the harbor.

The Doctor said, "That's a Sontaran fast attack cruiser." He went back to the console. "Standard armaments. But the energy signature…that thing has a Gallifreyan time core on board?"

Danny's battle-trained eyes inspected the alien spacecraft. "She looks like she's been through one heluva fight. Or am I wrong?"

"No," the Doctor said, "you're right. She just barely managed to get here. Wherever and whenever she came from, she might not make the trip back."

"Assuming they're supposed to." Danny spotted movement off at an angle. "Fighters coming in. Looks like they're firing missiles."

"Great," the Doctor said. "Their missiles will bounce off the ship's shields and then I'll have to-"

The missiles struck the ship and flames erupted out of it. As the American fighters peeled off, the ship wobbled in place, belching smoke. Another fireball burst out of it and it fell into the water.

"…do absolutely nothing," the Doctor finished. He went back to the console. "Their reactor scrammed and dumped all its fuel into the time vortex – another Time Lord safety measure. No survivors-"

"Doctor!" Gabrielle called from the door. She was pointing. "Look!"

The Doctor joined Gabrielle, Danny, and Clara at the door. Gabrielle was pointing at a huge skyscraper near the southern tip of Manhattan Island. It seemed to grow out of a complex of smaller buildings and domes. But what grabbed the Doctor's attention was the sign on top of it:

WINTER QUAY

Danny Blurted, "You said it was destroyed."

"Its timeline was," the Doctor said. "It never existed in the first place. And it wasn't that big in 1938."

"Yet there it is-" Danny started.

Gabrielle rushed to the console and programmed coordinates. "Transiting to Calvary Cemetery. I have an awful feeling about this."

As soon as the Tardis materialized in the cemetery, the foursome rushed out and found the row the Williamses grave was in. Their headstone and been righted. It read:

'IN LOVING MEMORY

'RORY AURTHUR WILLIAMS

'AGED 70

'AND HIS LOVING WIFE

'AMELIA WILLIAMS

'AGED 29'

The Doctor shook his head. "No, that's not right. He was 82, and she was 87-"

Gabrielle blanched. "No, it is right. Those are the ages they were at when they died at Winter Quay in the…oh no…"

The Doctor started to say, "We have to get back to UNIT-"

A female voice called, "Gabrielle!"

They turned and saw a red-headed woman walking towards them. Only her hair was in the style of the weeping angels'. And so were her silver-trimmed clothes.

And she had wings…

Gabrielle breathed, "Lucielle."

"Gabrielle," Lucielle said. "You have this one chance to come back to us."

Gabrielle didn't think twice. "Into the Tardis. Now!"

Everyone piled into the Tardis. Gabrielle closed the doors as the Doctor worked the controls. Gabrielle didn't entirely relax until the Tardis was in flight.

Danny chose his words carefully: "I hope you all realize that I am trying to keep an open mind and give all concerned who aren't human the benefit of the doubt. But Gabrielle, I thought you were the only angel who didn't turn to stone, and then only because of the Doctor."

Gabrielle leaned heavily on the console. "It is said that the archangels have the secret of how to move when looked upon, and that they share their power with their loyal retainers."

"'It is said,'" Danny mocked.

"I never saw it myself!" Gabrielle protested. "Not until now. And I'm two billion years old."

"All right," Clara said. "Your friend, Lucielle? Is she a 'loyal retainer' now?"

Gabrielle nodded. "The silver trim on her clothes connotes that rank."

Clara arched her eyebrows. "Seems she's moved up in the world."

"That's the least of our problems." Gabrielle looked at the Doctor. "If Michelle or any one of the other archangels is on Earth, Doctor, there's no underestimating the danger she and her soldiers pose to this planet and everyone on it."

The Doctor worked the controls. "Setting course for UNIT HQ."


	16. Chapter 16

"Kate!" the Doctor called as he led Gabrielle, Clara, and Danny into UNIT's command center. "We have to talk about Winter Quay."

Standing with Martha and Osgood, Kate smiled and said, "Oh, so now you're going to let us…interview Gabrielle about it?"

Gabrielle frowned. "What could I know about it? I haven't been there since 1938."

"Even so," Kate said, "any intelligence you can give us would be helpful, especially considering the current situation."

The Doctor started, "What situ-" Then he broke off and said, "Kate, what did I tell you about Rory and Amy Williams?"

"Why does that matter?" Kate asked.

"Humor me," the Doctor said.

"All right," Kate said. "You said that right after you got to the roof, you were overwhelmed by angels. Amy Williams fell to her death. You and River Song were sent back in time…and don't ask me to explain how you got out of that jam until I've finished the wall chart-"

"Wait," Martha interrupted, "that's not what he said." She looked at the Doctor. "You said Amy and Rory jumped, and that created a time paradox that destroyed Winter-"

"No," Osgood interrupted, "it was what Kate said. I was looking right at you when you said it, Doctor."

"I'm sure that's what you remember," the Doctor said. "But everyone who was in the Tardis will remember different." He turned to Clara, Gabrielle and Danny. "That turbulence we went through on the way back from Victorian London. That could be when we jumped timelines."

Gabrielle swallowed. "That's one possibility, Doctor. There is another-"

"Let's not rush to judgment, Gabrielle." The Doctor turned back to Kate. "So, a quick update on the 'situation' you mentioned."

Kate said, "Capsulized version: The Angels have me and everyone above my pay grade scared to death. We know almost nothing about Winter Quay apart from unconfirmed rumors that there are hundreds of families in there."

Gabrielle gawked. "Families!?"

Kate nodded. "We've hypothesized that they're breeding the people that were sent back from the future. Some of them anyway. But the Americans deny it even exists; you can't even find it on their maps of New York, and New Yorkers can look right at it and not see it. We've also some intel about a Winter Quay being built in Hong Kong, and there's some construction going on here in London that no one knows anything about but it's the same style building. And surprise, surprise, some members of parliament want to shut down UNIT, and they just happen to be members with the PM's ear.

"So," Kate said to the now-horrified Doctor and Gabrielle, "can we talk to you now?"

The Doctor stammered, "I didn't know, I swear. We thought it was destroyed in-"

Alarms went off. Martha listened to her radio headset, then said to Kate, "Ma'am, we have a situation some kind of security breach-" Her eyes widened as she listened, then she added, "Angels. We're being attacked by the angels. Only they're not turning to stone. And nothing we have is slowing them down."

Kate said, "Evacuate!" She turned to the Doctor. "Doctor-"

The door slid open and angles charged in. As Martha had said, they hadn't turned to stone, and they all had silver helmets and armor. Martha fired her machine gun at one. It had no effect, and the angel charged her. She touched Martha, and Martha disappeared.

"No!" the Doctor cried. Two angles had his arms, and another two restrained Gabrielle. The Doctor could only watch helplessly as Clara, Danny, Kate, Osgood and everyone else in the room vanished.

An angel in golden armor entered, and followed by another one in silver. The new angel in sliver armor removed her helmet, revealing a head of red hair.

Gabrielle recognized her. "Lucielle," she gasped.

"Hello, Gabrielle," Lucielle answered. "You should have come back to us when you had the chance."

The angel in gold armor took off her helmet, revealing blonde hair and chiseled beauty. "So these were Earth's defenders?" she said. "If I'd known it would be this easy, I would have done it years ago. You must be the Doctor. We are the archangel Michelle."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," the Doctor grated. "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done here."

Michelle chuckled. "Really? Like you stopped Daleks and cybermen and – what were those red things? Oh, I remember – Zygons?"

"Yes. I've taken out bigger than you."

"Like the last Osirin, Sutekh? What year did you dispatch him?"

"1911."

"Ah, yes. Rory Williams had been living at Winter Quay for 14 years at that point."

"I sup—wait," the Doctor stammered, "what?"

"We make a point," Michelle said. "You have bounced around this planet's history, saving it from one conqueror or another. What you never realized it had already been conquered. This world is ours. The humans are ours. You think you can dislodge us? No. We are not invaders, Doctor. We are the top of the food chain. And with the exception of Sutekh, you dealt with annoyances we would have dealt with anyway. And you never knew because you dealt with adversaries who had no concept of subtlety. Learn this lesson: True power is not flaunted gratuitously. As we will now demonstrate."

Michelle nodded and the angels holding Gabrielle let her stand free.

Michelle said, "Gabrielle, we will make it very simple: submit to our judgment, or we will uncreate this city."

The Doctor growled, "You will do no such thing. And if you so much as-"

Gabrielle turned to the Doctor. "Doctor! Please. Don't embarrass yourself. Londinium still stands. That means she's already won. You know that as well as I." Gabrielle knelt. "Your Divinity, I submit myself to your judgement. I place myself at your mercy…and ask that you let me friend, the Doctor, go."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Michelle said. "To let your pet go free while you martyr yourself. No. It shall not be that easy for you. So, now we pronounce judgment. You wish to leave the Host. Your wish is granted. Henceforth, you are banished from the Host; no Choir will ever accept you. You wish to keep company with the Time Lord known as the Doctor. That shall be permitted…but we do not like his face. We shall change it. Now. Muriel. Come forth. You know what to do."

One of the silver-armored angle removed her helmet and stood in front of the Doctor. She touched his shoulder. He didn't disappear, and her eyes glowed. "I have it, Your Divinity."

"We will honor your sacrifice," Michelle said. She touched Muriel's shoulder, and Muriel disappeared.

8

8

Tegan, Adric, and Nyssa knelt around the Doctor, lying broken at the foot of the Pharos telescope, and called his name.

The Doctor's eyes cleared. He looked at his companions and smiled. "It's the end," he said, "but the moment has been prepared for."

He reached out and they saw The Watcher standing nearby. The glowing humanoid walked towards the Doctor.

"The Watcher!" Adric said.

Nyssa started, "He was the Doctor all the-"

The Watcher's foot touched the Doctor and began to melt into the Doctor's body…

…but then the Watcher opened his mouth and soundlessly cried it. His form dissolved, replaced by a stone angel. That angel melted into the Doctor's body. His companions gasped as the Doctor turned to stone. Then with a flash and a loud bang, the Doctor was lying there, flesh and blood and covered with dust. He groaned.

Tegan gawked. "What was that?"

Nyssa saw guards running across the grounds. "We can't worry about that." She looked at the Doctor. "He must have healed himself; looks like no bones broken. I think we can move him."

Tegan had also spied the running guards. "Like we have a choice. Adric, help me with him."

8

8

The two angels holding the Doctor let go and moved away.

"Wait," said the gaunt, Scottish-accented Time Lord. "What…" Then he slowly raised his hands and looked at them. His hands were glowing with what looked like a purple version of regeneration energy.

Then he collapsed as light burst out and enveloped his whole body, even his clothes. Purple lightening flashed out and struck the lights and some of the computer screens as the Doctor cried out in a distorted voice.

The light faded and the Doctor had…changed. Everything had changed. He wore a purple coat and a long scarf. His face and body were much pudgier; his white hair was curly. And he had a cane at his side.

"What, what…" he stammered as Gabrielle fell to her knees beside him, to help him. He had an English accent again, and his voice was deeper. "What have you-" He broke off and touched his own face. "This feels like my fourth incarnation."

Michelle smiled. "Indeed it is, Doctor. Muriel went back and affected your ability to regenerate. While you were able to heal from potentially fatal injuries, complete cellular transformation hasn't happened since. For all anyone knows, this is the face you've worn for centuries."

"But Michelle, that would create a paradox!"

"It did, Doctor, which Muriel ate, sacrificing herself to preserve the space/time continuum. And this is but a fraction of our power. So you see? In the end, most of your jousts with your 'enemies' were for our amusement. Although we will give you credit for Sutekh. We will take our leave of you now. Show some intelligence and don't try to stop us."

Gabrielle helped the Doctor to his feet as the angels filed out of the ruined command center.

Michell paused in the door. "Oh, Doctor. Just to show I am not heartless, you may now see one of your companions one more time."

She gestured down the hall. A little old lady in a baggy, worn coat shuffled in, giving Michelle a glare as she walked by. Then she came in (as Michelle left) and squinted at the Time Lord and the weeping angel. "Doctor?" she asked. "Is that you?"

The Doctor recognized her at once. "Clara!?"

The elderly Clara Oswald shuffled into the Doctor's arms, and the Doctor realized she was using all her strength to stand up. "Clara," he said, as lowered her to the floor.

"Doctor…is there something wrong with your face?"

"You tell me."

"Not sure." She coughed.

"Clara…" the Doctor breathed, "what happened to Danny and the others?"

"No idea. And those winged bitches found me a few weeks ago and they've been…been keeping me alive. I knew they wanted to torture you…but I wanted to see you one more time."

"Clara…no…don't go…"

Clara smiled. "Just run. Run, you clever boy…and…remember…me…."

She sagged into the Doctor's arms and breathed her last.

8

8

The regular army soon arrived and took over what was left of UNIT. The Doctor and Gabrielle watched as Clara's body was taken away. Then the Doctor exchanged words with the officer in charge. Though the man was polite and respectful, his words and demeanor boiled down to, 'Don't call us, Doctor, we'll call you.' Once that conversation was done, the Doctor didn't hesitate to get in the Tardis with Gabrielle and leave.

As the Doctor busied himself at the console, Gabrielle made a show of inspecting the bookcase on the upper catwalk. "Doctor…I don't have words. I never dreamed they'd go that far. I am so terribly-"

*THUD!*

Gabrielle spun and saw the Doctor had collapsed to the deck.

"DOCTOR!" Gabrielle half ran, half glided down the steps and knelt by the Doctor's side, helping him to a sitting position. "What happened?"

"I don't know," he said. "Body doesn't feel right-" He broke off, then went on: "I need a doctor. And there's only one man in the universe I can call."

8

8

The Doctor and Gabrielle waited by the Tardis on an empty plane on a desert planet.

Gabrielle said, "Will he come?"

"He'll come," the Doctor said. "He won't pass up the chance to-"

Silver light flashed near them, and Davros appeared, flanked by two Daleks.

Davros said, "So, Doctor. This is a surprise. A parlay at the time and place of my choosing. I am intrigued. What do you want?"

"First, a question," the Doctor said. "Have you ever seen me with a face other than this one?"

"No," Davros answered. "I found that curious, since Time Lords are known for their ability to regenerate, and I saw it during the war. I wondered why you never did it. You asked me here for that?"

"No. During the Time War, you interrogated Time Lord prisoners. You also conducted medical experiments on Time Lords."

"Yes."

"That makes you, by default, the foremost authority on Time Lord physiology in the Universe."

"I object to 'by default,' but the point is taken. What of it?"

The Doctor took a deep breath and said, "I'm ill, Davros. Terribly, terribly sick. I need you to find out what's wrong with me. I…need your help."

8

8

Davros and the Daleks escorted the Doctor and Gabrielle back to Davros' ship. After Davros conducted tests on the Doctor and drew some blood, the Doctor and Gabrielle were conducted to a small room with some human amenities. "Probably for slaves," the Doctor said.

When Davros came by an hour later, just the way he rolled in said something was wrong.

The Doctor said, "Well?"

"Doctor," Davros said, "in spite of being at odds for many years, I have respected you as a man of science, with an intellect equal to my own. And you have been a worthy opponent of my Daleks. So it gives me no pleasure to say this. You have cancer. Wherever it started, it has metastasized to almost all your major organs."

Gabrielle gawked. "How can he have cancer?" she stammered.

"How could he not?" Davros said. "Centuries of travel to diverse environments, exposure to chemicals and radiations…the man has run afoul of carcinogens wherever he went. Had he regenerated, the early damage would have been erased…"

"I did regenerate," the Doctor said, "several times. But the weeping angels sent one of their number back to prevent that."

Gabrielle hissed, "Michelle knew."

"Indeed," Davros said. "And ironically, even if it were possible for him to regenerate now, it would not save him. If anything, in his current condition, the strain of regenerating would be as fatal as the disease."

The Doctor asked, "How long?"

"A year," Davros said, "eighteen months at the outside. I am sorry."

The Doctor nodded. "All right. Well, you've got me. I walked right in her under guard with no plan of getting out. So what now?"

Davros pondered and said, "You came in peace and asked for my help, Doctor. You and your companion will be allowed to leave in peace."


	17. Chapter 17

Davros gave the Doctor medicine and the chemical formula to make more. It wouldn't cure the disease, but it would help him stay on his feet…for a time.

Daleks lined the corridors as Davros accompanied the Doctor and Gabrielle back to the teleport.

The Doctor said, "If I didn't know any better, Davros, I would say they were upset."

"Does that surprise you, Doctor? We have both been part of their history from the very beginning. In our own way, we are the fathers of the Daleks. How would any child react learning they are about to lose a parent?"

The Doctor and Gabrielle were teleported without escort, then they got back in the Tardis and took off. Once they were under way, the Doctor noticed Gabrielle was crying. "I know," he said. "A bit of a shock."

"It's not that," Gabrielle answered. "Well, not just that. I always knew this couldn't last. It's a matter of relative life expectancies, you see. You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I'll just go on. Even if you leave me the Tardis to feed on after you're gone, I'll outlive her. So I knew this would end. I just thought we'd have more time."

"That's usually my line."

"Yeah? How does it feel to have the shoe on the other foot?"

"Terrible." He grinned. "Although, if that makes me your companion, that means you'll have to save me. While of course fighting for your life and saving the universe from insurmountable odds."

She laughed. "Just another day at the office."

"Yes. And don't forget you might have seconds to spare."

"No pressure!"

"None at all." His smile faded. "Time for that later. We could use a break. What say we go to the Eye of Orion?"

They landed amidst ruins overlooking a valley on a cool sunny day. "I don't know who built them," the Doctor said, "which is odd because I know everything. But this might be as good a time as any to go back and-" He noticed Gabrielle was looking off into the distance. "What is it? You've been out of sorts since we got here."

"Sorry. Some kind of temporal disturbance." She pointed into the sky. "That way."

"Well, I have been here before."

"In deep space? About twenty light minutes out-"

A star flared where she'd been pointing.

The Doctor held up his screwdriver and took a reading. "Time core exploded. Looks like a small one, from a vortex manipulator. Twenty minutes ago."

"Vortex manipulator?" Gabrielle said. "Who would-"

Light flashed near them and a Sontaran appeared. He was wearing a high tech harness that was sparking and smoking.

Gabrielle said, "Question answered. I've got this." She blurred to the Sontaran, put one hand on his helmet, and another on his harness' wrist control pad. The harness disappeared.

She took her hands off the Sontaran and smiled. "You're welcome."

"Improvised vortex manipulator," the Doctor said as he came over. "Very dangerous thing. I'm the Doctor. This is Gabrielle. Yes, she's a weeping angel, but don't worry, she's all right."

"Yes," the Sontaran said. "There were rumors the Doctor had an angel as a companion, but these were unconfirmed." He paused and turned to Gabrielle. "Your contribution to the Sontaran war effort was appreciated." He turned back to the Doctor and saluted. "Sir! Second Lietenant Stylex of the First Sontaran attack group reporting as ordered." He pulled a data card out of his belt and handed it to the Doctor. "Our commandant has ordered me to give you these space/time coordinates." He paused and added sheepishly, "And, sir, I was hoping you could be prevailed on to provide me transport home. For the good of the war effort."

"Well, Second Lieutenant Stylex," the Doctor said, "I have no problem in getting you home. But I'm not in the habit of assisting the Sontaran war effort."

"Your reluctance was anticipated," Stylex said, "so the commandant personally gave me a message to deliver to you in that eventuality. Message is as follows: 'Sweetie, stop arguing and get your ass over here.'"

8

8

The coordinates were in the 37th century. They found a Sontaran battleship on the edge of a binary star system. The Doctor materialized the Tardis in the main hangar. Within seconds Sontarans rushed in and formed an honor guard leading to the door.

The Doctor, Gabrielle, and Stylex filed out and waited by the door. Then a human woman entered the hangar. As she walked towards the Tardis, she said, "Well, you finally got here. Honestly, for a Time Lord you have no sense of time."

"Hello, River," the Doctor said. "This is Gabrielle. I believe you know Stylex."

"So there was an angel." River turned to the honor guard. "Stand down! This angel is not a threat."

"Sir!" The troops turned and left.

"River," the Doctor said, "this may sound odd, but have you seen me with faces other than this one and the three before it?"

"Not sure. Which doesn't surprise me." She handed the Doctor her diary. "Go ahead. Read it."

The Doctor flipped through it. "Unintelligible gibberish."

"And that's when the pages aren't blank. Time is seriously messed up."

Gabrielle smiled. "So…were you a companion of the Doctor?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" River said. "Professor River Song. I'm his wife."

"Wife!?" Gabrielle yelped. "Oh, wait – that's right. He told me he married you. I…guess it slipped my mind."

"I know," River grinned. "He usually never tells the pretty girls he's married. And, strictly speaking, a polygamist. Or didn't he tell you about Elizabeth the First? And then there's the fact that he went to Earth with his granddaughter…which means there had to be a grandmother which he's never told anyone about. Bit of a bad boy, isn't he? But it's all right. I'm not territorial."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "So, River, why am I here and who am I supposed to help the Sontarans fight?"

"Isn't that obvious?" River said. "The angels."

"And this is the flag ship of the First Sontaran attack group?"

"Not exactly, Doctor," River said. "You know Sontarans. This ship is the only ship in the only attack group. The angels have wiped out everyone else."

The Doctor gawked. "How!?"

"With humanity's help," River said. "Come with me to the brig. I will show you what humanity has become."

8

8

The soldiers in the cells were all young men. Their bodies were the peak of human male physique.

But their heads and faces were different stories. They were round and pudgy with baby fat. And their behavior was in some ways infantile.

River explained, "Winter Quay was more than a battery farm. That was stage one. Then they started mating people who were more receptive to their manipulation. They repeated the process generation after generation and bred…that. They're still human. But they're completely devoted to the angels. The ones who don't let themselves go back to provide power become their soldiers."

Gabrielle was horrified. "Michelle once told me humans inspired her," she said. "She must have meant when humans discovered agriculture and domesticated animals."

River nodded. "The weeping angels domesticated humanity and have built an empire." She led them out of the brig and down the corridors.

The Doctor asked, "And the humans didn't resist?"

"Some did, for a time," River explained. "The last 'wild humans' were wiped out a thousand years ago. With humans under angel control, Cybermen went extinct real quick. The only other major threat was the Daleks. The angels went after them once their fleet was strong enough. Bye, bye Daleks. But they left behind some pilfered Time Lord technology. We used it to send the other ship we had back to attack Winter Quay in the past. I'm guessing it didn't go well."

"It didn't," the Doctor said. "And even if it had, when we left, they were building Winter Quays in other cities at that time."

"Damn! They were in every city by 2100. Makes sense they started in 2014 or earlier."

"You were about to tell me how the Sontarans got into it and how you became their commandant."

"The last holdouts. They put up a fight, and even developed pulse rifles that, while not being able to kill an angel, can temporarily disrupt her powers. Too little too late. I'm here because of an inversion in the vortex. Fried my vortex manipulator to get here. But if there's a hope in hell of stopping the angels, it's in this time. I pulled together the last of their forces; they made me their commandant. I had a squadron at the start. Now, there's just this ship. It's only a matter of time before they finish us off…"

The deck rocked from an explosion. A klaxon sounded and a voice echoed from the speakers, "Commandant to the bridge, commandant to the bridge…"

River finished, "Which we may not have to wait long for. Let's go."

8

8

When they got to the bridge, a Sontaran officer reported missile strikes had taken out their hyperdrive. The screen showed a fleet of ships had them surrounded. As River took her command chair, she said, "Doctor, this would be a really good time for one of your crazy ideas."

The Doctor rubbed his nose. "Well, let's see…what say I take the Tardis out to the year Two Million A. D., red line the engines, and make a run for New York City on April 3, 1938."

River snapped her head to the Doctor. "That's not funny."

"I wasn't kidding."

"You do that, you'll blow up the whole planet. You'll be lucky if you don't erase the entire solar system from ever having existed."

"That is the general idea."

"Are you mad? Doctor-"

"River, humanity has already been lost. This would be a-"

An officer interrupted: "Begging your pardon, sir, but incoming transmission from the enemy command ship."

"Open a channel," River said. "Audio only."

A female voice filled the bridge: "We are the archangel Lucielle. You are surrounded and you can't escape. Surrender and your deaths will be quick and painless."

Gabrielle yelped, "Lucielle!?"

"Ah, Gabrielle," Lucielle purred. "About time you showed up. You will pay a special price for your treason. And if you were thinking of escaping in the Time Lord's Tardis…forget it." The channel went dead.

The Doctor mused, "What did she mean-"

"Incoming missile!" A Sontaran barked.

The deck rocked.

"No damage," the Sontaran wondered. "Impact near the hangar. The only noticeable effect was a brief spike in-" He broke off, then finished, "…in arctron energy."

The Doctor and River exchanged horrified looks. River handed the bridge over to a subordinate, then she, the Doctor, and Gabrielle ran for it.

When they got to the hangar, they could hear the cloister bell from the outside the Tardis. The police box windows were cracked, the lamp on top glowed weakly, and the outside seemed to be cracking and crumbling.

River breathed, "That arctron warhead – it was at the precise wavelength…Doctor…they've…"

"Killed the Tardis," the Doctor finished. "I'd like to do this alone."

He opened the door. The lights flickered in the console room. The console itself looked to be falling apart, while the walls were crumbling, exposing mechanisms that were melting.

"Ac…activate holographic interface."

A dark haired young woman flared into existence in front of him.

"Sarah," the Doctor said.

"I am not Sarah."

"I can still call you Sarah."

"If it pleases you."

Tears ran down the Doctor's cheeks. "I am so, so, terribly sorry. You've always been there for me, and now, I can't help you."

"I know, Doctor. It's all right. We had a good journey together. And now it must end."

"I wish it didn't."

"So do I."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I don't want to die here, Doctor. Send me home."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No. You must stay and find a chance to repair this timeline, however slim it is."

"All right." He programmed controls and sild the main lever over. Then he went to the door. He turned and looked at the hologram of Sarah…the Tardis…one last time. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Doctor."

He left the Tardis and closed the doors. He, Gabrielle, and River watcher her dematerialize.

Gabrielle asked, "Where did you send her?"

"Nowhere," the Doctor said. "Just into the vortex. That's her true home. It's where she's going to die."

A Sontaran voice sounded from all the room's speakers: "Bridge to Commandant. Bridge to Commandant."

The Doctor and Gabrielle followed River to a wall intercom. River pressed the button and said, "River here."

"New message from the enemy ship. We have ten minutes to surrender."

"I see. I'll be right up." She turned to the Doctor. "Doctor-" She looked past his shoulder. "Oh my-"

The Doctor turned. "What?" He was just realizing there was nothing behind him when River's fingers slammed into the side of his neck. She caught him as he slumped.

"Never should have taught me Venusian Aikido." She turned to Gabrielle. "Help me get him into the escape pod."

Gabrielle and River got the Doctor into the pod. Gabrielle said, "You're coming with us?"

"Of course," River said. "Strap him in. Let me get a first aid kit."

River ducked out into the corridor, turned, and made sure Gabrielle was preoccupied with the Doctor. Then she worked the controls. The pod's hatch and the inner hatch closed. Seconds later Gabrielle's face filled the portal.

River touched a com unit in the wall. "I'm seeing this through to the end," she said. "Take care of him. You and he are still our only hope."

River pressed another button and the pod launched.

8

8

Back on the bridge, River settled into her command chair. "Helm, set a collision course with the enemy flagship. Full power to forward shields; engines to maximum at my command." She broke off and added, "Anyone who would like to abandon ship now, I won't hold it against you."

No one moved.

River smiled. "Gentlemen. It has been an honor to serve with you. Full power now!" And she added to herself, "Sweetie, you had better fix this, because we're bowling with Virginia Wolf on Saturday."

8

8

The pod's rocking jarred the Doctor awake. "What, wh…" He realized River wasn't there. "RIVER! What's that girl gone and done now?"

Gabrielle was at the pod's pilot chair. She worked the controls and a screen lit to show the receding Sontaran battleship surrounded by the angels' fleet.

The Doctor said, "Can you open a channel?"

"I've already tried. Communications are out and the pod is on autopilot. It also has stealth capabilities, so there is that good news."

The Sonatarn ship turned to aim itself at the largest of the angels' ships.

"No!" the Doctor said. He aimed his screw driver at the console. Nothing happened.

"She's rigged the controls," Gabrielle said. "Totally tamper-proof. Hyperdirve is powering up. There's nothing I can do."

The Doctor's eyes remained glued to the screen. Then the Sontaran ship raced towards the angel flagship, soaking up fire from the enemy's weapons. Explosions flared on it but it didn't slow down, until it plowed into the angel ship. A huge fireball filled the screen.

"No!" the Doctor howled as the pod jumped to hyperspace.


	18. Chapter 18

The pod came out of hyperspace near a planet locked in a perpetual global ice age. The landing wasn't the smoothest the Doctor had ever experienced, but under the circumstances he didn't care. That they had landed during the day was hardly noteworthy given that it was below freezing and snowing.

Gabrielle said, "I'll check our supplies. You have a peek outside. Don't get out of sight with the ship."

"Yes, Your Divinity."

"That was uncalled for."

"I know. Sorry. I just…" He trailed off.

"We're still alive. Maybe there's still a chance. Don't give up."

"All right…Doctor," he said with a smile.

After he went out the hatch, Gabrielle busied herself with the storage lockers. The Sontaran food might be fit for the Doctor. She didn't need food…but she began to wonder how long it had been since her necklace's Heisenberg compensator had been recharged. If it failed, she would turn to stone when the Doctor looked at her; and she would lose her ability to speak to him. Not insurmountable problems, but it would make things needlessly complicated.

She opened another locker and saw it contained weapons. Of course. She was about to close it when she opened it again. She removed a Sontaran pulse rifle…

…and a cylindrical object that seemed to fit the rifle's muzzle.

She put down the rifle and the directional silencer and opened the hatch to the small engine compartment and inspected it.

"Doctor! Doctor, come here."

He came back in through the hatch. "Yes? What is it?"

"Look what I found." She held up the rifle and snapped the silencer onto the end of the barrel. "And the hyperdrive is still intact."

He squeezed next to her and looked in the engine compartment. "Yes, but it is rudimentary, and our fuel is very low, assuming the pod can take off again."

"It doesn't have to. I have the power to access the time vortex; it's how I send people back. The engine can enhance my natural abilities and turn them back on me….and send me back to Winter Quay on April 3, 1938."

The Doctor pushed himself against a bulkhead. "Are you mad?"

"Quite the opposite. I'm seeing clearly. I was there. I held the door. It has to be me."

"What makes you so sure?"

"An angel farther up the stairs shouted, 'Gabrielle! She's gone insane.' I thought she was talking *to* me, but now I see she was talking *about* me."

"No…" the Doctor said. "There must be another way. We can figure something out."

"There isn't," Gabrielle said. "Rory sensed it. This has always been my destiny. We're living in my personal timeline. That's why things changed, because I have yet to get back to Winter Quay. And things won't be set right until I go back. Surely you must have known."

"I suspected. I hoped I was wrong. I…" His voice broke. "I don't want to lose you. You're the first person I've ever met who knows what it's like to be me."

She took one of his hands in both of hers and smiled. "One person in the right place at the right time doing the right thing can change everything. I want to do it, Doctor. Please help me. Help me give you and Rory and Amy and Clara and Danny and everyone else all their tomorrows."

The Doctor smiled back. "All-"

A dart struck the Doctor's neck. He brushed it off. Then they saw Lucielle standing in the hatch. Her hair was a mess, and her armor had dents and burn marks in it. She had a small pistol aimed at the Doctor. "A parting gift from your old friend, Davros," Lucielle spat. "He saw things our way before the end, and I had a hunch it would come in handy someday. One dose is enough for a slow, agonizing death. Two more and you die instantly. And while you're pondering that, I have a ship on the way. It'll be here in minutes."

The Doctor grinned. "No royal we-" He winced.

"That'll be the burning sensation," Lucielle said. "Gabrielle, do the sensible thing. Hand over the pulse rifle. Now!"

Gabrielle did it.

"Outside, both of you."

The Doctor and Gabrielle shambled outside. Then they heard the rifle fire. Smoke came out the hatch as Lucielle joined them.

Lucielle said, "And that is that for the hyperdrive. No one is messing with time today. Submit, Gabrielle. It will go so much easier for you."

"After what you've done to the humans, Lucielle? It's obscene-"

"Oh, please! Spare me your histrionics, Gabrielle. The humans are thriving under out stewardship. And you were right about how adorable they can be. I have a family at home. Three generations now."

"You've turned them into beasts of burden, Lucielle. As long as I live, I will try to find a way to undo this. You're going to kill us anyway, so get it over with!"

"Oh, no, Gabrielle, you will not be allowed to become a martyr. My sister archangels and I will craft a far worse punishment for you. But if you want some incentive…" Lucielle fished a small glass vial with gold liquid in it out of her belt. "Davros giveth and Davros taketh away. The antidote to the poison. Submit and when you are in custody, I will cure him. We may even be generous and fix his regeneration issue."

The Doctor was obviously in pain and having trouble standing, but he hardened his expression. "Don't do it, Gabrielle. I would rather die than than live knowing you gave in to these tyrants."

Lucielle showed her exasperation. "Oh, spare me! What is with you? You've already lost! Surely both of you can see that. And I have you hopelessly outnumbered. It's in your best interests to surrender if you want to be shown any mercy at all."

The Doctor made a show of pointing at himself and Gabrielle. "Pardon me, but I seem to remember how to count. There's two of us and one of you."

"Do you act stupid, Doctor," Lucielle said, "or are you really that dense? This is an ice planet. Snow reflects. Every snow flake carries my reflection, and with it, my power."

Gabrielle smiled and nodded. "You're right, Lucielle. However…"

A second Gabrielle armed with a Sontaran pulse rifle fitted with a directional silencer appeared behind Lucielle and shot the archangel in the back. Lucielle dropped the rifle as she fell to her hands and knees, energy crackling on her body.

The newly arrived Gabrielle finished, "…I was here first!"

The first Gabrielle – the one who had arrived with the Doctor – scooped up the rifle and aimed it at Lucielle. But Lucielle let out a cry of rage and hurled the vial at the escape pod. It shattered.

Lucielle glared up at the Gabrielles. "Now you get to watch your precious Time Lord die a slow painful death!"

The Gabrielle who'd appeared crossed to Lucielle. "He won't die now, Lucille, because he never will have been poisoned. And you know why."

Lucielle's eyes widened. "The paradox you'll allow those apes to create will kill me too, Gabrielle. For him? For them?"

"Ever read the human bible, Lucielle? One can't help but notice that every time their God needs to punish someone, or set an example, or needs a killing, he sends and angel. Where did they get that idea? The oldest race, and all we've given them is a reason to come up with stories for why we exist. We could have done more. We could have found another way with the humans. Instead, we're parasites. We stole their tomorrows. It's time to give back, no matter the cost. Goodbye, Lucielle."

The Gabrielle who'd shot Lucielle touched Lucielle, and Lucielle disappeared…

…and that Gabrielle screamed as she blazed with gold light!

The first Gabrielle hefted her rifle and aimed it. The glowing Gabrielle put her hand in the snow, and a wave of glowing snowflakes burst from her touch and enveloped the first Gabrielle, who disappeared.

"What—aaargh!" The Doctor fell to his knees. "Gabrielle, what have you done? How far back did you send her?"

"Seven billion years," Gabrielle said in a distorted voice. "Even an angel could die of old age before getting back here."

"No! That's too much. It'll burn you up."

"There won't be time." She shifted the rifle to one hand and pointed at the clouds with her free and. Gold light blazed from her hand to the clouds, which roiled and flashed with gold lightning. The snow around her began to glow, gold light spreading to the horizon in seconds. "Every ice crystal and water droplet on this planet contains my image," Gabrielle said. "I've charged the atmosphere with my power—enough for ten thousand Tardises! I'll send myself back to Winter Quay-"

"You'll need almost all of it to survive the temporal stress, Gabrielle. You may not be strong enough to survive Rory and Amy's paradox. You could cease to exist."

"Then that will be my gift, Doctor. Amy and Rory will be together, you will be restored, and the humans will be free. That's more than enough for the life of one monster."

The Doctor couldn't stand anymore. Tears ran down his cheeks as he fell to his knees. "You were never a monster to me," he choked.

Gabrielle smiled. "Goodbye, my darling Doctor." She reached up with her free hand. The clouds above her twisted into the shape of Gabrielle's head and upper body, one arm extending down towards her flesh-and-blood self. "Get ready to run," the flesh Gabrielle said. "Run, you clever boy, and remember me."

The giant hand made of cloud and snow touched Gabrielle's flesh-and-blood hand…

…and then…


	19. Chapter 19

The young woman named Clara Oswald blinked. She found herself, Danny Pink, and Martha Jones standing by the Tardis in Calvary Cemetery on a sunny afternoon. The gaunt, gray-haired man Clara thought of as the Twelfth Doctor stood a little farther away, facing a row of headstones.

Clara went to stand by the Doctor. She read Amy and Rory's headstone:

'IN LOVING MEMORY

'RORY ARTHUR WILLIAMS

'AGED 82

'AND HIS LOVING WIFE

'AMELIA WILLIAMS

'AGED 87'

Clara breathed, "What happened?"

"Gabrielle happened," the Doctor said, not looking at her. "She sent herself back to Winter Quay. She held the door. Amy and Rory had time to jump. Everything is back the way it was."

"So, where is she, then?"

"You see her around?" The Doctor took a reading with his sonic screwdriver. "There isn't an active weeping angel within a hundred miles of here."

Danny nodded. "Another brave soldier making a heroic sacrifice to the cause, sahr!"

The Doctor rounded on Danny and slammed his fist into Danny's jaw. Danny fell against a headstone to steady himself.

"You idiot!" the Doctor shouted with tears in his eyes. "YOU THINK SHE DID THIS FOR ME!? No. She did it for you and Clara and the kids at the school. She did it for your children and your children's children. So you'd be free of the angels' yoke. So you could spread out into the universe and breed and steamroll and flatten everything you came across without bending knee to another race." As Danny got to his feet, the Doctor started to turn away, but then he turned back. "But you know what? You know what makes my whole life a sick joke? You know what makes me look like a complete idiot every time I save you stupid apes? Because I know how the story ends. I know what you become. Don't I, Martha? You saw it. Shall I tell them? Shall I give them the ultimate spoiler? Why not? At the end of time, when all the stars go out and the last entropy wave blasts the last atoms from existence, humans achieve their final form of psychopathic disembodied human heads living in armored self-contained life support systems. All your potential, but in the end, you become infantile killing machines that make Daleks look like pacifists. Gabrielle sacrificed herself so you could fulfill your destiny as homicidal metal beach balls."

Clara said, "So what now?"

"Now?" the Doctor said. "I'm done. I've had it. I give my all for you apes and get nothing back. Time to look after myself and let you go to hell or heaven or New Jersey for all I care."

"No, Doctor, you can't give up hope!"

"You watch me, Clara. I was quit before I met you. I'm a thousand times as quit now. And nothing and no one is going to shake me out of it this time."

Danny looked away for a second. Then he crossed to the Doctor. "Doctor, I don't like you and I don't trust you….but Clara's right. You can't give up. And you need to see something. You need to get the Tardis to…some place with a view of Tower Bridge. 1630 GMT tomorrow."

The Doctor scrutinized Danny. "It took a lot for you to say that. I appreciate that. But what's at Tower Bridge?"

"I don't know."

"I'll need a little more than that."

Danny took a deep breath. "'Timey wimey.' Honestly, that's all I know."

"All right, I'll bite. I have to get you lot home anyway."

8

8

Landing by the Tower of London was problematic, so the Doctor found a vantage point across the Thames.

The Doctor led the others out. "Well, here we are-"

"Doctor?" a voice said. "You are the Doctor, right?"

The Doctor turned to the fat, gray haired man coming up to them. He had a bag slung over his shoulder. "Brian? Brian Williams?" He turned back Clara, Martha, and Danny. "Guys, this is Brian Williams, Rory's dad-" He broke off and spun back to Brian. "But I regenerated! How do you know it's me?"

"Bloke who called a few days ago. He said to meet you here after buying new clothes for Rory and Amy. Then meet you here at this exact spot."

Danny said, "Who called?"

Brian pointed at Danny. "You did!"

"No, I didn't."

"Danny?" the Doctor said. "Is there something you want to-"

Clara pointed. "Look!"

They looked at the bridge. There was a figure standing on top of the nearest tower. It looked like a woman with wings. She ran and jumped off the tower, banking and flying towards them.

The Doctor grinned. "It's her. She made it!"

She came to hover above them. She was wearing black BDU pants and a black tank top and a new Heisenberg necklace. She was holding a thick envelope 9 x 12 .

The Doctor stammered, "How did you make it?"

"Spoilers," Gabrielle said. "But you have to get to the church on time." She dropped the envelope into the Doctor's hand. Then she pushed off and flew out over the river, banked through an s-turn and vanished in a flash of silver light.

They ran back into the Tardis. The Doctor opened the envelope. He pulled out several photos. He grinned at one of them. "Look at it!" he said with a grin. "Look at it!"

8

8

 **Queens, New York – 1996**

With a flash of silver light, Gabrielle appeared in the living room of the small house. "Hello?"

"Hello?" A man in his late 40's came into the room. He smiled. "Gabrielle!"

"You're Anthony Williams. You know me?"

"Of course, I know you! It's been years. Don't you remember?"

"No, because for me it hasn't-"

"—happened yet-"

"—yes, but you have something for me?"

"Of course." He went to a cabinet, opened a drawer, and brought her a thick 9 x 12 envelope. "Here."

Gabrielle opened the envelope and looked at the photos. She slid them back in, closed the envelope, smiled, and gave Anthony a kiss on the cheek. She touched a wrist band and vanished in a flash of silver light.

8

8

 **Queens, New York – 1961**

Amy and Rory jumped when the dark-haired woman with wings, in Black BDUs and a black tank top, appeared as they were sitting at their coffee table. The winged woman had her hands behind her back.

Amy challenged, "Who're you?"

"It's all right, Amy, Rory. I mean you no harm. I am Gabrielle. I'm the weeping angel who sent you back."

Amy said, "What do you want now? How come you're not stone?"

"In reverse order, long story. And I'm here to talk to you about the Doctor. When I sent you back, the Doctor said you were creating a fixed timeline and he would never be able to see you again. He was half right. In the first place, it's not just you creating it. We are together. In the second place, you're not done. And in the third place, when the Doctor knows how a story ends, he skips over huge chunks of the middle. And in the fourth place – and this took me a while - like anyone not from America, I made the same mistake about New York everyone does. So. In two years it will be 25 year since you arrived. You're thinking of renewing your vows. Would that be a good opportunity to see the Doctor one more time? But before you answer, remember, this part is not set. It's still up to you."

Amy said, "If I can see him again, yes."

Gabrielle brought the envelope from behind her back and handed it to Amy. She said, "The Doctor has changed. He's in the middle with the gray hair."

Amy opened the envelope and looked at the photos. Then she turned to Gabrielle. "Whatever you want, I'll do it. I don't care."

"There are things you have to do to make sure the timeline happens," Gabrielle said with a smile, "but I want nothing for myself. I have wronged all of you and I have to make amends. So this is my gift to the Doctor and his family."

8

8

 **The Tardis – London – 2014**

The photo the Doctor held in his shaking hands showed himself flanked by Amy and Rory, Clara, Brian, Martha, and Danny filling out the frame. They stood in the sanctuary of a church. Amy wore a wedding dress, Rory had a tux on, and the rest were in formal attire from 1960's America.

Clara found a card that had fallen out of the envelope. She read, "'You are cordially invited to witness Rory and Amy Williams renew their vows, St. Mary's church, 46 North Main Street, Cortland, New York. October 19, 1963, 2 PM.' And there's a handwritten note: 'Get a move on, you old haggis! I won't forgive you if you're late for this one. Love, Amy.'"

Danny said, "I thought you couldn't see them again."

"Not in New York City in 1938," the Doctor said, "but…oh…Danny…WE'RE IDIOTS! Or at the very least not Americans! We think of New York CITY and forget there's a whole STATE attached!" He worked a console and a monitor lit. "See! There's Cortland. 200 miles from New York City. Well outside any paradoxes. And the date, 1963 – twenty-five years after the event. It can work! Well, we know it can because we're going to be there and get our picture taken."

Martha had the picture. "Then I guess we have to get changed. Danny? Brian? Follow us."

8

8

 **Cortland, New York –October 19, 1963, 2:15 PM.**

No sooner had the Tardis materialized on the sidewalk outside the church than the Doctor raced out and bounded up the steps of the church. "Amy! Amy!" He got inside and dozens of people were milling around the pews. "Where's Amy? Amy!"

"Doctor!" Amy came running from the front of the church, Roy behind her. "Is it really the Doctor?"

"Amy! It's me!"

"Raggedy man!"

They crashed into a hug in the middle of the church. Brian caught up with Rory and shook hands with him.

"Amy Pond, the girl who waited…"

"And got old. River said you didn't like to see it."

"I don't know what you mean," the Doctor said. "You look fantastic. But why did Brian have to buy new clothes for you?"

"Oh. Remember that business with the mine? How we saw our future selves?"

"Yeah?"

"Rory and I never got there. So after the ceremony you have to give us a quick lift to 2020."

Rory said, "Yeah, quick out and back. What could possibly happen?"

The Doctor grinned. "It would be my pleasure."

The priest came over. "So, this is the mystery man who couldn't make it to New York City? Can we start now?"

As they found their places, Clara said to Danny, "Don't. I know you're dying to rain on his parade. Don't you dare. Not today."

Danny let himself grin. "No. Not today."

8

8

Gabrielle banked over the center of Cortland, towards the Church's spires. As she flew between them, she was joined by the cyberman who had been Danny Pink. They flew in formation for a second before they vanished in a flash of silver light.

THE END


End file.
